Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)The enantiomeric separation of albendazole sulfoxide was carried out by simulated moving bed chromatography with variable zones (VARICOL). An overall recovery of 97% was achieved and enantiomeric ratios of 99.5% for raffinate and 99.0% for extract were attained. A total of 880 mg of (+)-albendazol sulfoxide and 930 mg of its antipode were collected after 55 cycles or 11 h of process, resulting in a mass rate of 2 g/day. Furthermore the absolute configuration of the enantiopure compounds was determined for the first time by vibrational circular dichroism (VCD) with the aid of theoretical calculations as (-)-(S) and (+)-(R)-albendazole sulfoxide. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.12306165Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)Center for Scientific Computing (NCC/GridUNESP) of the Sao Paulo State University (UNESP)Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)FAPESP [2009/18515-1, 2008/58658-3, 2009/17138-0, 2007/02872-4]