Patent ID: 8536365

Claim:
A process for the optical resolution of (3,4-dimethoxy-bicyclo[4.2.0]octa-1,3,5-trien-7-yl)nitrile of formula (I): wherein a racemic or enantiomerically enriched mixture of (3,4-dimethoxy-bicyclo[4.2.0]octa-1,3,5-trien-7-yl)nitrile is separated into its two enantiomers (S)-(3,4-dimethoxy-bicyclo[4.2.0]octa-1,3,5-trien-7-yl)nitrile of formula (Ia): and (R)-(3,4-dimethoxy-bicyclo[4.2.0]octa-1,3,5-trien-7-yl)nitrile of formula (Ib): by chiral chromatography comprising a stationary phase and a mobile phase, wherein the stationary phase comprises a silica gel impregnated with a functionalised polysaccharide and wherein the mobile phase comprises a mixture of an alcohol and another organic solvent, wherein the organic solvent is heptane or hexane.