Isothermal titration calorimetry for chiral chemistry

One of the most powerful techniques that are currently available to measure thermodynamic parameters such as enthalpy (ΔH), Gibbs free energy (ΔG), entropy changes (ΔS), and binding affinity in chemical reactions is isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC). Recent advances in instrumentation have facilitated the development of ITC as a very essential analytical tool in biology and chemistry. In this article, we will focus on a review of the literature on the application of ITC for the study of chiral systems and chiral interactions. We present studies in which the ITC technique is used to study chiral interactions, for instance in chiral solutions, chiral organometallic complexes, guest‐host chiral binding interactions, and biological macromolecules. Finally, we put strong emphasis on the most recent application of ITC for the study of chirality in nanosystems and at the nanoscale.     

Interactions of chiral molecules with an (r)-n-(3,5-dinitrobenzoyl) phenylglycine HPLC stationary phase

Forty different chiral molecules were studied by liquid chromatography with a Pirkle-type, (R)-N-(3,5-dinitrobenzoyl) phenylglycine (DNBPG), chiral stationary phase column. The dramatic effect of a small molecular change on chiral recognition was demonstrated using DL-amino acid derivatives. The inductive effect on chiral recognition was also studied using trifluoro-, trichloro-, dichloro-, monochloroacetyl, and acetyl derivatives of four different chiral amines. The study of the enantiomer separation of 11 different crown ethers of 2,2′-binaphthyldiyl showed that the rigidity of the chiral center can be an additional parameter in chiral recognition for the DNBPG phase but not for a β-cyclodextrin bonded chiral phase. It is apparent from this study that steric effects, inductive effects, and molecular rigidity play important roles in chiral recognition with DNBPG chiral stationary phases.     

Isothermal Titration Calorimetry of Chiral Polymeric Nanoparticles

Chiral polymeric nanoparticles are of prime importance, mainly due to their enantioselective potential, for many applications such as catalysis and chiral separation in chromatography. In this article we report on the preparation of chiral polymeric nanoparticles by miniemulsion polymerization. In addition, we describe the use of isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) to measure the chiral interactions and the energetics of the adsorption of enantiomers from aqueous solutions onto chiral polymeric nanoparticles. The characterization of chirality in nano‐systems is a very challenging task; here, we demonstrate that ITC can be used to accurately determine the thermodynamic parameters associated with the chiral interactions of nanoparticles. The use of ITC to measure the energetics of chiral interactions and recognition at the surfaces of chiral nanoparticles can be applied to other nanoscale chiral systems and can provide further insight into the chiral discrimination processes of nanomaterials. Chirality 27:613–618, 2015. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Enantioselective complexation of 1‐phenylethanol with chiral compounds bearing urea moiety

A detailed study of diastereomeric complexes of chiral ureido‐1,1′‐binaphthalene derivatives with chiral 1‐phenylethanol showed that a derivative bearing only one urea unit makes five times more stable complex with (S)‐enantiomer than with (R)‐enantiomer of the alcohol. This phenomenon could be used in chiral discrimination processes. The influence of individual parts of the structure on the complexation properties is shown. The probable structure of diastereomeric complexes based on experimental results and computational methods is proposed.     

Simple Isocratic HPLC Method for Determination of Enantiomeric Impurity in Besifloxacin Hydrochloride

Besifloxacin is a unique chiral broad‐spectrum flouroquinolone used in the treatment of bacterial conjunctivitis. R‐form of besifloxacin hydrochloride shows higher antibacterial activity as compared to the S‐isomer. Therefore, it is necessary to establish chiral purity. To establish chiral purity a high‐performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method for determination of R‐besifloxacin and S‐besifloxacin (BES impurity A) was developed and validated for in‐process quality control and stability studies. The analytical performance parameters such as linearity, precision, accuracy, specificity, limit of detection (LOD), and lower limit of quantification (LOQ) were determined according to International Council for Harmonization ICH Q2(R1) guidelines. HPLC separation was achieved on Chiralpak AD‐H (250 x 4.6 mm, 5 μm) column using n‐heptane: ethanol: ethylenediamine: acetic acid (800:200:0.5:0.5) (v/v/v/v) as the mobile phase in an isocratic elution. The eluents were monitored by UV/Visible detector at 290 nm. The resolution between S‐isomer and besifloxacin hydrochloride was more than 2.0. Based on a signal‐to‐noise ratio of 3 and 10 the LOD of besifloxacin was 0.30 μg/mL, while the LOQ was 0.90 μg/mL. The calibration curves were linear in the range of 0.9–7.5 μg/mL. Precision of the method was established within the acceptable range. The method was suitable for the quality control enantiomeric impurity in besifloxacin hydrochloride. Chirality 28:628–632, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Plant-Derived Enzymes Producing Chiral Aroma Compounds and Potential Application

Aroma (volatile) compounds play important ecological functions in plants, and also contribute to the quality of plant-derived foods. Moreover, chiral aroma compounds affect their functions in plants and lead to different flavor quality properties. Formations of chiral aroma compounds are due to the presence of enzymes producing these compounds in plants, which are generally involved in the final biosynthetic step of the aroma compounds. Here, we review recent progress in research on the plant-derived enzymes producing chiral aroma compounds, and their changes in response to environmental factors. The chiral aroma enzymes that have been reported produce (R)-linalool, (S)-linalool, (R)-limonene, and (S)-limonene, etc., and these enzymes are found in various plant species. We also discuss the origins of enantioselectivity in the plant-derived enzymes producing chiral aroma compounds and summarize the potential use of plants containing enzymes producing chiral aroma compounds for producing chiral flavors/fragrances.     

Manipulation of chiral resolution for isoxazoline-based IIb/IIIa receptor antagonists using various mobile phase additives in subcritical fluid chromatography

Subcritical fluid chromatography (SubFC) using a carbon dioxide-methanol mobile phase is used for the chiral resolution of IIb/IIIa receptor antagonist enantiomers. The chiral resolution of three analogs, each containing two chiral centers, is optimized using various mobile phase additives. The effects that acidic, basic, and neutral additives have on retention, efficiency, and resolution are examined. The additive that gives the best resolution was found to be dependent upon the functionality and charge of the chiral analyte. For charged analytes, additives that act as competing ions of the same charge as the chiral analyte dramatically improve efficiency and resolution. Resolution of neutral chiral analyte enantiomers is also greatly affected by the choice of mobile phase additive. Chirality 10:338–342, 1998. © 1998 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

Optical resolution and mechanism using enantioselective cellulose,sodium alginate and hydroxypropyl‐β‐cyclodextrin membranes

Chiral solid membranes of cellulose, sodium alginate, and hydroxypropyl‐β‐cyclodextrin were prepared for chiral dialysis separations. After optimizing the membrane material concentrations, the membrane preparation conditions and the feed concentrations, enantiomeric excesses of 89.1%, 42.6%, and 59.1% were obtained for mandelic acid on the cellulose membrane, p ‐hydroxy phenylglycine on the sodium alginate membrane, and p ‐hydroxy phenylglycine on the hydroxypropyl‐β‐cyclodextrin membrane, respectively. To study the optical resolution mechanism, chiral discrimination by membrane adsorption, solid phase extraction, membrane chromatography, high‐pressure liquid chromatography ultrafiltration were performed. All of the experimental results showed that the first adsorbed enantiomer was not the enantiomer that first permeated the membrane. The crystal structures of mandelic acid and p ‐hydroxy phenylglycine are the racematic compounds. We suggest that the chiral separation mechanism of the solid membrane is “adsorption – association – diffusion,” which is able to explain the optical resolution of the enantioselective membrane. This is also the first report in which solid membranes of sodium alginate and hydroxypropyl‐β‐cyclodextrin were used in the chiral separation of p ‐hydroxy phenylglycine.     

A Toy Model for the Generation of Homochirality during Polymerization

This article examines a toy model of polymerization which though artificial and unphysical has some interesting chiral features. Two key elements, enantiomeric cross inhibition and chiral feedback, are shown to lead to bifurcation, so that the end product can become homo-chiral. We find that the bifurcation is driven by the cross-inhibition but is not strongly dependant on its strength, which for perfect feedback fidelity mainly determines the time scale. We also find that bifurcation with a high degree of chiral polarization remains even when the fidelity of the chiral feedback is substantially less than unity. For small values of the feedback fidelity the polarization drops below unity and at a critical value falls sharply to zero in a `phase transition'. The value at which this happens depends on the cross-inhibition in a complex way. By comparing the behaviour of polymers differing only in their final length, N, we find that the bifurcation process is enhanced as N increases. The symmetry breaking which we find is clearly a particular manifestation of general bifurcation theory. In addition it has the specific interest that, at least in our model, long homochiral polymers are possible even in the presence of substantial enantiomeric cross-inhibition.     

Emulsion liquid membranes for chiral separations: Selective extraction of rac-phenylalanine enantiomers

We describe the use of emulsion liquid membrane technology to perform chiral separations on low molecular weight species. We have reviewed liquid membrane technology in the context of existing process scale chiral separations. We illustrate the potential of this new technique by presenting our results on the selective extraction of phenylalanine enantiomers, using copper (II) N-decyl-(L)-hydroxyproline as a chiral selector in an emulsion liquid membrane configuration. This is compared with an analogous batch solvent extraction system. Initial batch enantiomeric excesses of greater than 40% were observed with the emulsion liquid membrane system compared with around 25% for the solvent extraction system. It was also noted that the system is not limited by the equilibrium capacity constraints of the solvent extraction system. We have shown that kinetic chiral liquid membrane technology offers high productivity and flexibility compared with analogous process scale chiral technologies. Recent transfer of highly specific chiral reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatographic chemistries have shown that “one-stop” enantiomeric excesses of commercial interest (>95%) are achievable using kinetic chiral liquid membrane systems. Solvent and temperature selection strategies also have been outlined as means of increasing the enantioselectivity of existing liquid membrane extraction chemistries. Chirality 9:261–267, 1997. © 1997 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

Synthesis and Enantioseparation Ability of Xylan Bisphenylcarbamate Derivatives as Chiral Stationary Phases in HPLC

Ten novel xylan bisphenylcarbamate derivatives bearing meta‐ and para‐substituents on their phenyl groups were synthesized and their chiral recognition abilities were evaluated as the chiral stationary phases (CSPs) for high‐performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) after coating them on macroporous silica. The chiral recognition abilities of these CSPs depended on the nature, position, and number of the substituents on the phenyl moieties. The introduction of an electron‐donating group was more attractive than an electron‐withdrawing group to improve the chiral recognition ability of the xylan phenylcarbamate derivatives. Among the CSPs discussed in this study, xylan bis(3,5‐dimethylphenylcarbamate)‐based CSP seems to possess the highest resolving power for many racemates, and the meta‐substituted CSPs showed relatively better chiral recognition than the para‐substituted ones. For some racemates, the xylan bis(3,5‐dimethylphenylcarbamate) derivative exhibited higher enantioselectivity than the CSP based on cellulose tris(3,5‐dimethylphenylcarbamate). Chirality 27:518–522, 2015 © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Synthesis of dendrimer‐type chiral stationary phases based on the selector of (1S,2R)‐(+)‐2‐Amino‐1,2‐diphenylethanol derivate and their enantioseparation evaluation by HPLC

In our recent work, a series of dendritic chiral stationary phases (CSPs) were synthesized, in which the chiral selector was L‐2‐(p‐toluenesulfonamido)‐3‐phenylpropionyl chloride (selector I), and the CSP derived from three‐generation dendrimer showed the best separation ability. To further investigate the influence of the structures of dendrimer and chiral selector on enantioseparation ability, in this work, another series CSPs ( CSPs 1‐4 ) were prepared by immobilizing (1S,2R)‐1,2‐diphenyl‐2‐(3‐phenylureido)ethyl 4‐isocyanatophenylcarbamate (selector II) on one‐ to four‐generation dendrimers that were prepared in previous work. CSPs 1 and 4 demonstrated the equivalent enantioseparation ability. CSPs 2 and 3 showed the best and poorest enantioseparation ability respectively. Basically, these two series of CSPs exhibited the equivalent enantioseparation ability although the chiral selectors were different. Considering the enantioseparation ability of the CSP derived from aminated silica gel and selector II is much better than that of the one derived from aminated silica gel and selector I, it is believed that the dendrimer conformation essentially impacts enantioseparation. Chirality, 2010. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.     

Effect of acidic mobile phase additives on chiral selectivity for phenylalanine analogs using subcritical fluid chromatography

A variety of acidic mobile phase additives were investigated as to their effects on retention, selectivity, efficiency, and overall chiral resolution for a number of chiral N‐substituted phenylalanine analogs under subcritical conditions. These mobile phase additives showed significant effects for all of the chromatographic parameters evaluated in this study. All of the phenylalanine analogs showed decreasing retention as the pK_a of the additive decreased. Plots of selectivity, efficiency, and chiral resolution showed pronounced improvement using acidic additives with pK_a values near −1. These results demonstrated that the choice of acidic mobile phase additives had a significant effect on the resulting chromatography for these chiral analytes under subcritical conditions. Chirality 11:91–97, 1999. © 1999 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.     

An Insight to Chiral Monolith for Enantioselective Nano and Micro HPLC: Preparation and Applications

This review gives an overview of chiral separation principles and their application in enantioselective nano/micro high performance liquid chromatography (n/μ‐HPLC) using chiral monolith. In particular, developments in silica and polymer chiral monolithic stationary phases are presented. The preparation and applications of chiral monoliths, the basic chiral separation principles and the mechanisms are discussed. Chirality 25:314–323, 2013. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Solid‐phase extraction with metal–organic frameworks for the analysis of chiral compounds

Metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) are excellent porous materials with nanoscale cavities and high surface areas, which make them promising as novel adsorbents in solid‐phase extraction (SPE). In this article we report a new application of the chiral MOF [Zn₂(D‐Cam)₂(4,4′‐bpy)]_n in SPE used for the measurement of the enantiomeric excess (ee) of (±)‐1,1′‐bi‐2‐naphthol. Several important experimental parameters that may influence the extraction efficiency were investigated and optimized. Under the optimum conditions, a good linearity (R² > 0.999) was found between the ee value and the reciprocal of the peak areas. When compared with the actual ee measured using chiral HPLC, the SPE‐based assay also showed good accuracy and precision. The results showed that SPE based on chiral MOFs as adsorbents is a simple and effective method for the determination of the ee values of chiral compounds.     

Asymmetric Autocatalysis Induced by Chiral Crystals of Achiral Tetraphenylethylenes

The achiral hydrocarbon tetraphenylethylene crystallizes in enantiomorphous forms (chiral space group: P2₁) to afford right- and left-handed hemihedral crystals, which can be recognized by solid-state circular dichroism spectroscopic analysis. Chiral organic crystals of tetraphenylethylene mediated enantioselective addition of diisopropylzinc to pyrimidine-5-carbaldehyde to give, in conjunction with asymmetric autocatalysis with amplification of chirality, almost enantiomerically pure (S)- and (R)-5-pyrimidyl alkanols whose absolute configurations were controlled efficiently by the crystalline chirality of the tetraphenylethylene substrate. Tetrakis(p-chlorophenyl)ethylene and tetrakis(p-bromophenyl)ethylene also show chirality in the crystalline state, which can also act as a chiral substrate and induce enantioselectivity of diisopropylzinc addition to pyrimidine-5-carbaldehyde in asymmetric autocatalysis to give enantiomerically enriched 5-pyrimidyl alkanols with the absolute configuration correlated with that of the chiral crystals. Highly enantioselective synthesis has been achieved using chiral crystals composed of achiral hydrocarbons, tetraphenylethylenes, as chiral inducers. This chemical system enables significant amplification of the amount of chirality using spontaneously formed chiral crystals of achiral organic compounds as the seed for the chirality of asymmetric autocatalysis.     

A new class of network-polymeric chiral stationary phases

A strategy based on the use of homo bi- and multifunctional building blocks for the synthesis of a new class of network-polymeric chiral stationary phases has been evaluated. The key steps comprise acylation of N,N′-diallyl-L-tartardiamide (DATD) and reaction with a multifunctional hydrosilane, yielding a network polymer incorporating the bifunctional C₂-symmetric chiral selector. Covalent bonding to a functionalized silica takes place during the latter process. Many of these chiral sorbents show interesting enantioselective properties toward a wide variety of racemic solutes under normal-phase (hexane-based) conditions. The retention is mainly caused by the hydrogen-bonding ability of the analyte, which is regulated by mobile phase additives like alcohol or ether cosolvents. The most interesting chiral stationary phases, in terms of broad enantioselectivity, were obtained from O,O′-diaryol-DATD-derivatives, particularly those containing the 3,5-dimethylbenzoyl and the 4-(tert-butyl)benzoyl moieties. Since high column efficiencies can be obtained with these chiral sorbents, an α-value of ca. 1.2 is usually sufficient to produce baseline separation. A large number of neutral as well as acidic or basic drug racemates are resolved without derivatization. © 1995 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

NMR chiral recognition of lipoic acid by cinchonidine CSA: A stereocenter beyond the organic function

Alpha-lipoic acid is a natural product that possesses distinct pharmacological properties. Lipoic acid is a short-chain fatty acid containing an asymmetric carbon at five bonds of distance to the organic function. Herein, we developed a nuclear magnetic resonance protocol to access the chiral recognition of lipoic acid in a simple and rapid procedure employing cinchonidine as a cheap chiral solvation agent in deuterated chloroform. To optimize this method, a statistical design of the experimental model was performed to produce a clear understanding of the optimal concentration, temperature, and molar ratio parameters. Based on the obtained spectra, the cinchonidine H₈-H₉ scalar coupling indicated a conformational preference in the chiral discrimination procedure. Density functional theory calculations established a proximity between the asymmetric center of lipoic acid and the aromatic moiety of cinchonidine, clarifying possible conformations in this ion-pair interaction. The described protocol demonstrates how far is far enough to chiral discrimination using a chiral solvation agent, expanding the method to compounds that contain a remote stereocenter.     

Theoretical study on chiral recognition mechanism of methyl mandelate enantiomers on permethylated β-cyclodextrin

Host-guest interactions of permethylated β-cyclodextrin (PM-β-CD) with methyl mandelate enantiomers ((R/S)-MMA) were simulated using semiempirical PM3 and ONIOM (B3LYP/6-31G(d):PM3) method. The chiral recognition mechanism of (R/S)-MMA enantiomers on PM-β-CD was investigated. The binding energies for all orientations considered in this research are reported. The most stable geometry structures of the two complexes are different. The benzene ring of (R)-MMA locates horizontally approximately on the wider edge of the PM-β-CD cavity, but the aromatic ring of (S)-MMA is deeply included into the hydrophobic cavity. Furthermore, the results of NBO analysis show that the main driving forces in the inclusion process of PM-β-CD with (R/S)-MMA are hydrogen bonding interaction, dipole-dipole interaction, charge-transfer and hydrophobic interaction. The stabilization energy of the (R)-MMA/PM-β-CD complex is lower than that of the (S)-MMA/PM-β-CD complex. Moreover, the chiral carbon in MMA of (R/S)-MMA/PM-β-CD complexes are close to the C2 and C3 in the glucose unit. The chiral recognition mechanism is thus closely related to the chiral environment provided by C2 and C3 in the glucose unit and the degree of (R/S)-MMA and PM-β-CD inclusion.     

Maltodextrins as Chiral Selectors in CE: Molecular Structure Effect of Basic Chiral Compounds on the Enantioseparation

Prediction of chiral separation for a compound using a chiral selector is an interesting and debatable work. For this purpose, in this study 23 chiral basic drugs with different chemical structures were selected as model solutes and the influence of their chemical structures on the enantioseparation in the presence of maltodextrin (MD) as chiral selector was investigated. For chiral separation, a 100‐mM phosphate buffer solution (pH 3.0) containing 10% (w/v) MD with dextrose equivalent (DE) of 4‐7 as chiral selector at the temperature of 25°C and voltage of 20 kV was used. Under this condition, baseline separation was achieved for nine chiral compounds and partial separation was obtained for another six chiral compounds while no enantioseparation was obtained for the remaining eight compounds. The results showed that the existence of at least two aromatic rings or cycloalkanes and an oxygen or nitrogen atom or –CN group directly bonded to the chiral center are necessary for baseline separation. With the obtained results in this study, chiral separation of a chiral compound can be estimated with MD‐modified capillary electrophoresis before analysis. This prediction will minimize the number of preliminary experiments required to resolve enantiomers and will save time and cost. Chirality 26:620–628, 2014. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.