Note to users. If you're seeing this message, it means that your browser cannot find this page's style/presentation instructions -- or possibly that you are using a browser that does not support current Web standards. Find out more about why this message is appearing, and what you can do to make your experience of our site the best it can be.

Science 1 February 1991:
Vol. 251. no. 4993, pp. 560 - 561
DOI: 10.1126/science.1846702
Prev | Table of Contents | Next

Articles

Science, Vol 251, Issue 4993, 560-561
Copyright © 1991 by American Association for the Advancement of Science

articles

Inhalational anesthetics stereochemistry: optical resolution of halothane, enflurane, and isoflurane

J Meinwald, WR Thompson, DL Pearson, WA Konig, T Runge, and W Francke

Department of Chemistry, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853-1301.

Halothane (I), enflurane (II), and isoflurane (III), which are among the most important inhalation anesthetics, are currently administered as racemic mixtures. The pure enantiomers have not been described, and no analytical method for resolving the commercially available racemic mixtures has been reported. Complete optical resolution of (+/-)-I and (+/-)-III on per-n-pentylated alpha-cyclodextrin (Lipodex A) and of (+/-)-II and (+/-)-III on octakis(6-O-methyl-2,3-di-O-pentyl)-gamma-cyclodextrin capillary columns has been achieved, making rapid and convenient determination of enantiomeric ratios in samples of all three of these anesthetics possible.


THIS ARTICLE HAS BEEN CITED BY OTHER ARTICLES:
Stereospecific effects of inhalational general anesthetic optical isomers on nerve ion channels.
N. Franks and W. Lieb (1991)
Science 254, 427-430
   Abstract »    PDF »


To Advertise     Find Products

Science. ISSN 0036-8075 (print), 1095-9203 (online)