The present invention is intended to provide a method for efficiently producing and providing a compound having a spirooxindole skeleton, for example, a compound having a spirooxindole skeleton and having antitumor activity that inhibits the interaction between Mdm2 protein and p53 protein, or an intermediate thereof, using an asymmetric catalyst. A compound having an optically active tricyclic dispiroindole skeleton is efficiently obtained through a catalytic asymmetric 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition reaction using ketimine as a reaction substrate and using a chiral ligand and a Lewis acid.

Complexes of cobalt and nickel with tridentate ligand PNHP.sup.R are effective for hydrogenation of unsaturated compounds. Cobalt complex [(PNHP.sup.Cy)Co(CH.sub.2SiMe.sub.3)]BAr.sup.F.sub.4 (PNHP.sup.Cy=bis[2-(dicyclohexylphosphino)ethyl]amine, BAr.sup.F.sub.4=B(3,5-(CF.sub.3).sub.2C.sub.6H.sub.3).sub.4)) was prepared and used with hydrogen for hydrogenation of alkenes, aldehydes, ketones, and imines under mild conditions (25-60 C., 1-4 atm H.sub.2). Nickel complex [(PNHP.sup.Cy)Ni(H)]BPh.sub.4 was used for hydrogenation of styrene and 1-octene under mild conditions. (PNP.sup.Cy)Ni(H) was used for hydrogenating alkenes.