Process for Improving Enantiomeric Purity of Aldehydes

摘要

This invention relates to a process for producing an optically active aldehyde (first aldehyde) containing a reduced amount of the corresponding enantiomeric aldehyde (second aldehyde) which process comprises: (1) providing an initial solution containing a non-eutectic mixture of the first aldehyde and the second aldehyde, which mixture has a composition in the compositional region where only the first aldehyde crystallizes when its solubility limit in the solution is exceeded, and (2) maintaining the solution at a temperature above the eutectic temperature of the mixture and under conditions such that the solubility limit of the first aldehyde is exceeded so as to form a crystalline first aldehyde containing relatively less of the second aldehyde than was present in the initial solution.