| Abstract: | Crystals of the title complex, C3H7NO2·C8H8O3·0.5H2O, were obtained from an aqueous solution containing racemic mandelic acid and (S)‐alanine. The unit cell includes two independent molecular complexes and one water molecule. The structure formed by (R)‐mandelic acid and (S)‐alanine in a 1:1 molar ratio shows the successful optical separation of racemic mandelic acid. Strong hydrogen bonding, with a rather short O?O separation of 2.494 (3) Å, is observed between the carboxyl and carboxylate groups. A structural comparison suggests that the strong hydrogen bonding affects the neighbouring covalent bond. |
