Solid alkali metal coordination compounds of water soluble alkali metal salts of monobasic acids and racemic diamines are made by contacting an aqueous solution of the alkali metal salts with a solution of a racemic diamine compound of the formula wherein Ar in an aryl ring, X is alkyl and Y is alkyl or hydrogen, the X\u27s being different from the Y\u27s. The formation of the new coordination compounds provides a method for separation of alkali metal from alkaline earth metals
