THE OPTICAL RESOLUTION OF AMINO-ACIDS BY PLASMA-POLYMERIZED TERPENE MEMBRANES

Four kinds of terpenes, i.e. l-menthol, S-(-)-beta-citronellol, [(1S)- endo]-borneol, and R-limonene, were fixed on a cellulose acetate membr ane by plasma polymerization method at various periods of plasma irrad iation. The fractional fixations of terpenes increased with increasing time of plasma irradiation. The optical resolutions of racemic trypto phan (DL-Trp) solutions were performed by the dialysis and the ultrafi ltration using the plasma polymerized membranes, All the membranes wer e permeable with respect to the D-isomer of tryptophan in preference t o the L-isomer. The larger value of separation factor was obtained at lower volume flux. The maximum value of separation factor obtained for DL-Trp was 9.5 at volume flux J(v) = 4.7 x 10(-8) m s(-1). The solute permeabilities and apparent viscous parameters were evaluated from th e dialysis and ultrafiltration data, respectively. A linear relation b etween the solute permeability and the ratio of apparent viscous param eters was obtained. It is indicated that the strength of chemical inte raction between the amino acid solute and the terpene fixed in the mem brane has a high influence on the solute flow inside the membrane pore .