The invention includes selected novel optically active .alpha.-ketones which either are themselves useful or are intermediates for the preparation of known ketomethylene pseudopeptides useful as antibiotics, antibiotic enhancers, or enzyme inhibitors. Further, the present invention provides a method for dehydrogenation/asymmetrical hydrogenation to obtain essentially pure antipodes of ketomethylene pseudopeptides having two chiral centers.

A invenção inclui as alpha.-cetonas ativas selecionadas da novela ótica que são elas mesmas úteis ou são os intermediários para a preparação dos pseudopeptides sabidos do ketomethylene úteis como antibióticos, enhancers antibióticos, ou inibidores de enzyme. Mais mais, a invenção atual fornece um método para o hydrogenation de dehydrogenation/asymmetrical para obter essencialmente antipodes puros dos pseudopeptides do ketomethylene que têm dois centros chiral.