PRODUCTION OF OPTICALLY ACTIVE COMPOUND

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To obtain an optical active compound that is useful as a synthetic intermediate for medicines, agrochemicals and the like in high yield by allowing (R, S) sulfur-containing propargyl alcohol to react with an esterifying agent in the presence of a stereospecifically catalyzing lipase. SOLUTION: (R, S) sulfur-containing propargyl alcohol represented by formula I [R1 and R2 are each a (substituted) alkyl, a (substituted) aralkyl, a (substituted) aryl] is reacted with an esterifying agent in an organic solvent in the presence of a lipase that can esterify either the R isomer or the S isomer of the propargyl alcohol to form the ester of one optically active sulfur-containing propargyl alcohol, while the other optically active sulfur-containing propargyl alcohol represented by formula III is allowed to remain. Thus, the objective optically active sulfur-containing propargyl alcohol of high optical purity, useful as a synthetic intermediate for medicines, agrochemicals, physiologically active substances and the like can be inexpensively obtained in high yield.