Enantioseparation of α-cyclohexylmandelic acid by solvent sublation

Herein we focused on using a novel separation technology, solvent sublation, for the enantioseparation of α-cyclohexylmandelic acid (CHMA). The experiment was carried out in a conventional bubble column using d-iso-butyl tartrate (d-IBTA) and sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) as a chiral selector and surfactant, respectively (Fig. 7). Several important parameters influencing the separation performance, such as the type of organic phase, the pH in the aqueous phase, and the concentrations of CHMA, d-IBTA, and SDS were investigated. Under the optimal operating conditions, the enantiomeric excess and separation factor were 54.85% and 4.5, respectively. The yields of d-enantiomer and l-enantiomer were 82.20% and 38.94%, respectively. Finally, the thermodynamic properties of the separation were investigated, which indicated an enthalpy-controlled process. This technique is an efficient chiral separation method, with many advantages, such as low amounts of organic solvent and chiral selector required and easier realization of the multi-stage operation.