Optical Resolution of Racemic Alcohols via Diastereoisomeric Supramolecular Compound Formation with O,O′-Dibenzoyl-(2R,3R)-tartaric Acid

O,O′-Dibenzoyl-(2R,3R)-tartaric acid (DBTA) forms a hydrogen bonded supramolecular compound with alcohols. The supramolecular compound formation is enantioselective for a large number of chiral alcohols, therefore DBTA can be used as resolving agent, also for compounds having no basic group. The condition of the complex formation is that the guest molecule should contain a proton donating group and a fitting aliphatic chain or cycloalkane ring.