METHOD FOR PRODUCING OPTICALLY ACTIVE alpha- HYDROXYCARBOXYLIC ACID

摘要

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To industrially and economically produce an optically active α- hydroxycarboxylic acid. SOLUTION: This method for producing an optically active α- hydroxycarboxylic acid is to produce an optically active cyanohydrin by reacting a carbonyl compound with hydrogen cyanide by using at least one species of organic solvent selected from a group comprising alcohol-based solvents, ester- based solvents, ether-based solvents and carboxylic acid-based solvents subsequently remove the aforesaid organic solvent in the aforesaid reaction medium and carry out a hydrolysis without isolating the optically active cyanohydrin.