Chiral Resolution: Separating Enantiomers for Safe and Effective Pharmaceutical Use

Chiral Resolution

the separation of enantiomers from a racemic mixture by reacting with chiral molecules-one way is making reversible bond b/w enantiomers with chiral molecule, creating diastereomers, separate them using boiling point/distillation then you can react with something else (a base)

Chiral resolution refers to the process of separating racemic mixtures, which contain equal amounts of two enantiomers, into individual enantiomers. Enantiomers are stereoisomers that have the same chemical and physical properties, except that they rotate plane-polarized light in opposite directions and can behave differently in biological systems.

There are different methods for chiral resolution, but one commonly used technique is called chromatography. Chromatography takes advantage of the differences in the affinity or interaction between the enantiomers and a stationary phase (e.g. a chiral stationary phase or a ligand) that is used to separate them. The two enantiomers can then be collected separately as pure compounds.

Another method for chiral resolution is called enzymatic resolution, which uses enzymes to selectively react with one enantiomer but not the other. For example, an enzyme can selectively catalyze the hydrolysis of one enantiomer of a racemic mixture, leaving the other enantiomer untouched.

Chiral resolution is important in pharmaceuticals, as the enantiomers of a drug can have different physiological effects. For example, the drug thalidomide was used as a sedative in the 1950s and 1960s, but it was later discovered that one enantiomer was responsible for the sedative effects while the other caused severe birth defects. Chiral resolution can help ensure that patients receive the correct enantiomer of a drug for a safe and effective treatment.

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