The enantiopure bicyclic amidine bases 5a-c were synthesized from alco
hol 8, via alkylation of the appropriate nitriles. The phenylsulphonyl
amidine 5a was subjected to X-ray crystallography as its nitrate salt,
and was shown by H-1 NMR to differentiate analytically between the en
antiomers of chiral carboxylic acids.