Method for producing optically active compounds

An optically active catalyst composed of a transition metal catalyst and an optically active amine derivative represented by any one of the following formulas:

• wherein R9, R10, R15 and R16 are independently hydrogen, a saturated or unsaturated hydrocarbon group, urethane group or sulfonyl group;
• R11, R12, R13 and R14 are the same or different so that the carbon bonded with these substituent groups might occupy the asymmetric center and independently represent hydrogen atom, an aromatic group, a saturated or unsaturated hydrocarbon group or cyclic hydrocarbon group;
• any one of R11 and R12 and any one of R13 and R14 are bonded together to form a ring;
• at least one of R17 and R18 is hydrogen atom, and the remaining one is hydrogen atom, a saturated or unsaturated hydrocarbon group, urethane group or sulfonyl group;
• R19, R20, R21 and R22 are the same or different so that the carbon bonded with these substituent groups might occupy the asymmetric center and independently represent hydrogen atom, an aromatic group, a saturated or unsaturated hydrocarbon group or cyclic hydrocarbon group;
• R23 represents hydrogen atom, an aromatic group, a saturated or unsaturated hydrocarbon group or cyclic hydrocarbon group;
• furthermore, any one of R19 and R20 and any one of R21 and R22 may be bonded together to form a ring or any one of R17 and R18 and any one of R20 and R21 may be bonded together to form a ring;
• R24 and R25 are independently hydrogen atom, a saturated or unsaturated hydrocarbon group, urethane group, sulfonyl group or acyl group;
• (CR226)n are the same or different so that the carbon bonded with these substituent groups might occupy the asymmetric center;
• R26 represents hydrogen atom, an aromatic group, a saturated or unsaturated hydrocarbon group or cyclic hydrocarbon group;
• furthermore, R27 and R28 independently represent hydrogen atom, or a saturated or unsaturated hydrocarbon group.

An optically active ruthenium-diamine complex, represented by the following general formula VII:

• wherein * represents an asymmetric carbon atom;
• R01 and R02 are the same or different, independently representing alkyl group, or phenyl group or cycloalkyl group which may or may not be substituted with an alkyl group;
• or R01 and R02 together form an alicyclic ring unsubstituted or substituted with an alkyl group;
• R03 represents methanesulfonyl group, trifluoromethanesulfonyl group, naphthylsulfonyl group, camphor sulfonyl group, or benzenesulfonyl group which may or may not be substituted with an alkyl group, an alkoxyl group or halogen atom, or benzoyl group which may or may not be substituted with alkoxycarbonyl group or alkyl group;
• R04 represents hydrogen atom or alkyl group;
• X represents an aromatic compound which may or may not be substituted with an alkyl group;
• and m and n together represent 0 or 1.