ipl-logo

Separation Of Enantiomers

155 Words1 Pages
Enantiomers are chiral molecules that are nonsuperimposable, mirror images of each other and have same physical properties. However, enantiomers rotate different plane polarized light. The separation of enantiomers from a racemic ibuprofen—(S)-(+)-ibuprofen and (R)-(-)-ibuprofen—occurred from the transformation of enantiomers to diastereomers. Diastereomers formed because they are chiral molecules that are not mirror images and have different physical properties. When a racemic-(±)-ibuprofen reacted with (S)-(-)-α-phenethylamine, a base—sodium hydroxide—deprotonated the carboxylic acid in both enantiomers of ibuprofen and protonated the amine in (S)-(-)-α-phenethylamine, forming two diastereomeric salts. The (S, S) salt that is insoluble in
Open Document