Disclosed is a process for isolating from a reaction mixture a salt of a mono-propargylated aminoindan having the structure wherein R1 is H, hydroxyl, alkoxy or wherein Y is O or S; R2 and R3 is each, independently, C1-8 alkyl, C6-12 aryl, C6-12 aralkyl, each optionally halo substituted, or hydrogen; where the reaction mixture further comprises a solvent, a primary aminoindan having the structure wherein R1 is defined as above, and a tertiary aminoindan having the structure the process comprising d) adding an acid to the reaction mixture; e) crystallizing the mono-propargylated aminoindan under conditions suitable for the formation of a crystalline salt of the mono-propargylated aminoindan; and f) recovering the crystalline salt of the mono-propargylated aminoindan, wherein the process is performed without addition of an organic solvent. Also disclosed are the crystalline diastereomeric salts produced by the process and pharmaceutical compositions containing the salts.