Resolution of 1-aryl-1,2,3,4-tetrahydroisoquinolines via crystallization of O-acetylmandelic amides

(R)-O-Acetylmandelic acid is an efficient chiral auxiliary for the resolution of racemic 1-aryl-1,2,3,4-tetrahydroisoquinolines 2 and 3 via crystallization of the corresponding diastereomeric amides 5 and 7. Acidic hydrolysis of (R,S)-O-acetylmandelylanilide 7b afforded optically pure (>99% ee) (S)-1-(2-aminophenyl)-1,2,3,4-tetrahydroisoquinoline (3b). Removal of the chiral auxiliary attached to the tetrahydroisoquinoline nitrogen (amide 5a) afforded partially racemized amine 2 both under hydrolytic and reductive cleavage conditions. Brønsted acid catalyzes migration of the chiral auxiliary from the isoquinoline nitrogen to aniline (6a → 7a).