Molecularly imprinted chiral stationary phase prepared with racemic template

The first example of molecularly imprinted chiral stationary phase prepared using a racemic template is shown. N-(3,5-Dinitrobenzoyl)-alpha-methylbenzylamine (DNB) was chirally discriminated on the molecularly imprinted stationary phase prepared using racemic DNB as the template. A chiral monomer, (S)-(-)-N-methacryloyl-1-naphthylethylamine, was utilized as the functional monomer toward the racemic template, and its chiral recognition ability was, interestingly, found to be enhanced through racemic molecular imprinting. A thermodynamic discussion briefly suggests that the observed chiral recognition ability of the racemic imprinting was proper value.