Spontaneous Resolution of 2,2'-Dimethoxy-1,1'-binaphthalene

Article abstract of DOI:10.1021/jo00006a025

The dimethyl ether of 1,1'-bi-2-naphthol crystallizes as a conglomerate and can be resolved without chiral auxiliaries by entrainment.The direct crystallization of a supersaturated solution of the title compound partially enriched by one enantiomer (ee ca. 2percent) is conducted in anisole at 40 deg C and gives, after one crystallization, a compound with ee >98percent.Demethylation under nonracemizing conditions gives the enantiomeric 1,1'-bi-2-naphthol.