Practical method for increasing optical purity of cis-verbenol.

R/S mixture of monoterpene alcohol cis-verbenol can be separated in preparative scale by its conversion into phthalic mono-ester and subsequent crystallization of its diastereomeric salts with (R)-α-methylbenzylamine and (S)-α-methylbenzylamine. Finally, basic methanolysis of the resolved phthalic mono-esters results (S)-cis-verbenol and (R)-cis-verbenol in high enantiomeric and diastereomeric purity.