OPTICALLY ACTIVE TARTARIC ESTER AND ITS PRODUCTION

摘要

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To obtain the subject compound useful as a raw material to prepare an optically active secondary alcohol used as an important raw material for medicines and agrochemicals by a highly selective and commercially simple method using a tartaric acid derivative anhydride and a racemic secondary alcohol as the feedstocks. SOLUTION: This tartaric ester shown by formula III is produced by reacting a tartaric acid derivative anhydride of formula I (R<1> and R<2> are each a 1-4C alkyl, phenyl, etc.) with a racemic secondary alcohol of formula II (R<3> and R<4> are each a 1-4C alkyl, phenyl, etc.) in the presence of a Lewis acid catalyst. The Lewis acid to be used is preferably iron chloride in terms of operability, wherein its quantity to be used is 0.01-20mol%, preferably 0.1-10mol% based on the compound of formula II. The reaction temperature is 0-150 deg.C, preferably room temperature to 120 deg.C.