Abstract: | Crosslinked α- and β-cyclodextrin gels (α-CD-E and β-CD-E) were used for the chromatographic resolution of racemic mandelic acid and its derivatives. β-CD-E bound L -(+)-isomers preferentially over D -(?)-isomers and resolved DL -methyl mandelate to give a D -(?)-isomer of 100% optical purity in the first fraction. Mandelic acid, ethyl mandelate, and O-methylated mandelic acid yielded resolutions of 65–83% in initial fractions. α-CD-E, on the contrary, bound D -(?)-isomers more strongly than L -(+)-isomers, resolving DL -methyl mandelate to a smaller extent than β-CD-E. Binding of DL -mandelic acid and DL -methyl mandelate on β-CD-E was studied quantitatively by the equilibrium method. β-CD-E has a similar binding capacity to starch with 1:1 stoichiometry but bound much more strongly than starch. β-CD-E has the same mode of selectivity as starch for the asymmetric binding of the mandelic acid derivatives, but α-CD-E has a reverse selectivity to β-CD-E and starch. |