white to light yellow crystal powde
(-)-Dibenzoyl-L-tartaric acid is used as an intermediate in pharmaceutical and agro chemical industries. It is used as chiral auxiliary in organic synthesis and as a resolution agent in the synthesis of rameleton.
(-)-O,O′-Dibenzoyl-L-tartaric acid monohydrate may be used as a chiral resolving agent for the resolution of racemic bioactive compounds such as (±)-3-(3-hydroxyphenyl)-N-(1-propyl)-piperidine and (±)-2-(5,6-dimethoxy-1,2,3,4-tetrahydro-1-naphthyl)-imidazoline to isolate the corresponding (-)-enantiomeric forms.
Crystallise the acid from water (18g from 400 mL boiling H2O) and stir vigorously while cooling in order to obtain crystals; otherwise an oil will separate which solidifies on cooling. Dry it in a vacuum desiccator over KOH/H2SO4 (yield 16.4g) as monohydrate, m 88-89o. It crystallises from xylene as the anhydrous acid, m 173o (150-153o). It does not crystallise from *C6H6, toluene, *C6H6/pet ether (oil), or CHCl3/pet ether. [Butler & Cretcher J Am Chem Soc 55 2605 1933, Acs et al. Tetrahedron 41 2465 1985, R(+) Beilstein 9 IV 557, S(-) Beilstein 9 III 870.]
