Objects of the present invention are to provide a novel dehydrogenation reaction catalyst, to provide a method that can produce a ketone, an aldehyde, and a carboxylic acid with high efficiency from an alcohol, and to provide a method for efficiently producing hydrogen from an alcohol, formic acid, or a formate, and they are accomplished by a catalyst containing an organometallic compound of Formula (1). ##STR00001##

A process for the stereoselective preparation of a chiral alcohol or a chiral amine, the process comprising reacting a first prochiral reactant selected from the group consisting of a ketone, an aldehyde, and an imine, with a second reactant comprising a Grignard reagent, in the presence of a chiral trans-diamine of formula (1) as defined herein:

##STR00001##

Also provided is the use of the chiral trans-diamine of formula (1) in a Grignard reaction and the chiral trans-diamines per se.

A process for the stereoselective preparation of a chiral alcohol or a chiral amine, the process comprising reacting a first prochiral reactant selected from the group consisting of a ketone, an aldehyde, and an imine, with a second reactant comprising a Grignard reagent, in the presence of a chiral trans-diamine of formula (1) as defined herein:

##STR00001##

Also provided is the use of the chiral trans-diamine of formula (1) in a Grignard reaction and the chiral trans-diamines per se.