1. Pharmaceuticals: As a Key Drug Intermediate

This is one of the core applications of L-mandelic acid. It serves as a chiral building block in the synthesis of various drugs.

• Specific Drugs: Used as an intermediate in the synthesis of drugs such as cefadroxil, the vasodilator cyclic mandelic acid ester, the eye drop hydroxybenzylazole, and the central nervous system stimulant pemoline.

• Functions and Advantages: Compared to conventional (racemic) mandelic acid, drugs synthesized from a single configuration of L-mandelic acid generally have higher efficacy and fewer side effects.

2. Cosmetics and Personal Care: As a Functional Skincare Ingredient

L-mandelic acid belongs to the alpha-hydroxy acid (AHA) family and is widely used in skincare due to its unique structure.

• Core Efficacy: It has exfoliating, skin-brightening, and acne-reducing effects.

• Key Advantages: Its larger molecular weight allows for slower skin penetration and less irritation, making it considered an ideal AHA ingredient for sensitive skin. It also possesses antibacterial properties.

• Applications: Can be used in skincare products with brightening, spot-fading, and anti-aging effects.

3. Chemical Synthesis and Chiral Resolution: As a chiral reagent
L-mandelic acid plays an important role in advanced chemical synthesis due to its chiral properties.

• Chiral resolving agent: A currently highly regarded acidic optical resolving agent, it can be used to resolve most racemic amines and amino acids by forming diastereomer salts.

• Chiral synthons: Serves as a starting material or intermediate for the synthesis of other complex chiral molecules.

4. Pesticide and Dye Intermediates

• In the chemical industry, it is also an important starting point for the synthesis of other fine chemicals.

• Pesticide intermediate: Can be used as a preferred raw material for the production of phenylacetic acid, an important intermediate in the production of herbicides (such as benzoyl permethrin and benzoyl benzoate).

• Dye intermediate: Can be used to produce benzofuranone disperse scarlet dye for dyeing polyester microfiber.