Determination of enantiomeric excess of α-hydroxy-3-phenoxybenzeneacetonitrile and its n-butyl ester by chiral high-performance liquid chromatography

Determination of enantiomeric excess of α-hydroxy-3-phenoxybenzeneacetonitrile, an important intermediate in the production of several pyrethroid insecticides, is usually done after derivatization and gas chromatographic analysis on a β-cyclodextrin-based column. In this communication we report a direct determination of enantiomeric excess of α-hydroxy-3-phenoxybenzeneacetonitrile and its n-butyl ester by chiral HPLC on Chiralcel OJ (Daicel, Japan) in a single run without derivatization.