OPTICALLY ACTIVE AMINO ACID ESTERS AND THEIR PRODUCTION AND PRODUCTION OF OPTICALLY ACTIVE ALCOHOLS

摘要

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To efficiently obtain an optically active alcohol having high optical purity by carrying out optical resolution of amino acid esters comprising optically active amino acids and racemic alcohols and then hydrolyzing the resultant optically active aminoacid esters. SOLUTION: (C) Aminoacid esters synthesized by reacting (A) racemic alcohols with (B) optically active amino acids are subjected to diastereomer resolution to afford (D) the objective optically active amino acid esters. Further, the component D is hydrolyzed to provide the objective optically active alcohols important as raw materials for medicines and agrochemicals. The component A includes alkyl secondary alcohols such as methylethyl alcohol or aralkyl alcohols such asα-phenylethyl alcohol. The component B includes preferably natural type L-α-amino acids. Thereby, an optically active alcohol having high optical purity can readily be produced from racemic alcohol and the recovered optically active amino acid can be recycled.