Enantiomeric separation of racemic amlodipine by sequential fractional crystallization through formation of diastereomeric salt solvates and co-crystals of solvate-like compounds with specific structure - A tandem resolution.

A new resolution method of racemic amlodipine has been developed. The racemic compound is reacted in a suitable solvent with 0.25-mol equivalent of (R,R)-tartaric acid. After the decomposition of the diastereomeric salt, the remaining racemic fraction is precipitated with half-equivalent of fumaric acid, and the pure amlodipine enantiomer is obtained. A quarter equivalent of the same resolving agent, (R,R)-tartaric acid has been also added to the mother liquor to obtain the other enantiomer. The advantage of this method is that both of the enantiomers of amlodipine could be obtained with high enantiomeric excess with the same resolving agent. The racemic excess can also be isolated and re-resolved. Achiral reagents (urea and thiourea) have been added to the resolving agent. These neutral additives are incorporated as co-crystals in the structure of the diastereomeric salts. The used solvate-former solvents and achiral additives are structurally similar, and their presence can enable the fractional separation of the diastereomers. In addition, the racemate, the enantiomers, and some intermediate salts with high diastereomeric excess obtained in the resolution process of amlodipine have been also subjected to thermal (DSC, TG/DTA-EGA-MS, and -FTIR), analytical (FTIR spectroscopic), and structural (XRD) comparisons, which indicate that the key-intermediate crystalline diastereomeric salts-as solvates and co-crystals-inherit a kind of structural similarity from their related additives-solvents (DMF, DMAA, and DMSO) or (thio)ureas, respectively.