METHOD FOR PRODUCING OPTICALLY ACTIVE 2-HYDROXY-3- PHENYLPROPIONIC ACID

摘要

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a method for synthesizing and crystallizing optically active 2-hydroxy-3-phenylpropionic acid useful as an medicament intermediate and allowed to have a substituent on phenyl group. SOLUTION: This optically active 2-hydroxy-3-phenylpropionic acid is produced by adding a nitrite salt at 10-80 deg.C to an aqueous solution comprising optically active phenylalanine and a protonic acid in an amount of 1-3 equivalents based on the amount of phenylalanine and having a protonic acid concentration of 0.5-2 mol/kg to perform reaction. The optically active 2- hydroxy-3-phenylpropionic acid is crystallized by using both of t-butyl methyl ether and a hydrocarbon-based solvent.