Methods for obtaining optically active compounds

There are a wide variety of methods now available for the economic production of optically active compounds on an industrial scale. Economics are dependent on a number of factors, and therefore the method of choice 

Since economically viable processes for the manufacture of optically active compounds generally utilise catalytic methods, or involve recycling of enantiomers, auxiliaries, etc., they tend to satisfy the drive towards waste minimisation. 

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Progress has also been made in asymmetric synthesis through the use of a chiral metal catalyst, so-called catalytic asymmetric synthesis, which is one of the most promising methods for obtaining optically active compounds, since a small amount of chiral material can produce a large amount of chiral product [4]. 

Host-guest inclusion complexations are usually carried out in organic solvents. As a green process, inclusion complexation can be performed in a water suspension medium or in the solid state. When the solid-state reaction in a water suspension medium is combined with an enantioselective inclusion complexation in the same water medium, a one-pot green preparative method for obtaining optically active compounds can be designed. In all these cases, enantiomers separated as inclusion complexes are recovered by distillation of the inclusion complex. When enantioselective inclusion complexation in the solid state is combined with the distillation technique, a unique green process for enantiomeric separation can result. 

A new green preparative method for obtaining optically active compounds can be designed using one-pot solid-state reactions and enantiomeric separation processes, carried out continuously in a water suspension medium. Some successful examples are described in this section. 

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