OPTICAL RESOLUTION OF AN AMINO-ACID BY AN ENANTIOSELECTIVE ULTRAFILTRATION MEMBRANE

An enantioselective membrane was prepared by introducing an amino acid condensate with glutaraldehyde into a polysulfone membrane matrix. The optical resolution of phenylalanine from aqueous racemate solutions was examined under the concentration and pressure gradients across the membrane respectively. The membrane was permeable with respect to D-phenylalanine in preference to L-phenylalanine, and the separation factor was 1.25 to 4.10. The solute fluxes were analyzed on the basis of a permeation model consisting of both diffusing flow and viscous flow. Using the solute fluxes of D- and L-amino acids, the separation factor could be successfully expressed by the solute permeability of amino acid and the volume flux.