The dimethyl ether of l, l'-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= 2%) is conducted in anisole at 40 OC and gives, after one crystallization, a compound with ee> 98%. Demethylation under nonracemizing conditions gives the enantiomeric l, l'-bi-2-naphthol. l ...
