The Possibility of the Optical Resolution of DL-Phenylalanine by [Cr(L-phe)2(NCS)(OH2)]

The reaction of DL-phenylalanine and [Cr(L-phe) 2 (NCS)-(OH 2 )](phe = phenylalaninato) in ethanolic solution led to the selective formation of [Cr(L-phe) 2 (D-phe-N)(OH 2 )] and fac-(-) 5 4 8 [Cr(L-phe) 3 ], that is, [Cr(L-phe) 2 (D-phe - N)(OH 2 )] was obtained during the heating and [Cr(L-phe) 3 ] was yielded from the filtrate. In the case of L- or D-phenylalanine, fac-(-) 5 4 6 [Cr(L-phe) 3 ] and [Cr(L-phe) 2 (D-phe-N)(OH 2 )] were only obtained, respectively. By using this procedure, the possibility of the optical resolution of DL-phenylalanine was confirmed.