Chiral molecules adsorbed on a solid surface: Tartaric acid diastereomers and their surface explosion on Cu(111)

The adsorption of diastereoisomers of tartaric acid, namely, meso (R,S)‐tartaric acid, (R,R)‐tartaric acid, and the racemic mixture of (R,R) and (S,S) tartaric acid on the (111) surface of a copper single crystal has been studied by means of reflection‐absorption IR Spectroscopy, X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy, low‐energy electron diffraction, and thermal desorption spectroscopy. Two distinct adsorption modes are identified for all three adsorbate systems. All molecules undergo an identical thermally induced autocatalytic decomposition reaction above 510 K. The pure enantiomers show 2D chiral long‐range ordered structures of opposite handedness.     

Chiral separation of novel iminonaringenin derivatives

A series of 4‐iminonaringenin derivatives 2 ‐ 6 have been prepared in good overall yields from a condensation reaction between naringenin and primary amines. The structures of all products were confirmed by ultraviolet, infrared, proton nuclear magnetic resonance, and carbon‐13 nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopic techniques. These derivatives were analyzed by high‐performance liquid chromatography using polysaccharide‐based chiral stationary phases, namely, Chiralpak IB and Chiralcel OD, using various mobile phases. 2‐Propanol showed a high enantioselectivity for naringin and its derivatives using achiral column containing immobilized polysaccharides (Chiralpak IB).     

Simultaneous chiral analysis of amphetamine‐type stimulants and ephedrine by capillary electrophoresis coupled to time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry

This study focused on the chiral characteristics of methamphetamine seizures in Shanghai for inferring the synthetic pathways of drugs. Capillary electrophoresis coupled to time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry was used for simultaneous chiral separation of amphetamine‐type stimulants and ephedrine, including S(+)‐amphetamine/R(?)‐amphetamine, S(+)‐methamphetamine/R(?)‐methamphetamine, (±)‐MDA (3,4‐methylenedioxyamphetamine), (±)‐MDMA (3,4‐methylenedioxymethamphetamine), (±)‐MDEA (3,4‐methylenedioxy‐N‐ethylamphetamine), d,l‐N‐ethylamphetamine, methylephedrine/methylpseudoephedrine, and 1S,2R(+)‐ephedrine/(?)‐ephedrine. The running buffer was 50‐mM ammonium formate (pH 2.2 was adjusted by 1‐M formic acid) containing 0.26% highly sulfated γ‐cyclodextrin as the chiral selector. All enantiomers were well resolved within 40 minutes by capillary electrophoresis at 20 kV in an uncoated fused‐silica capillary (50‐μm I.D. × 375‐μm O.D. × 90‐cm length) and detected by micro time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry. Twenty seized methamphetamine samples were determined by the established method. They were classified into two groups through their chiral characteristics.     

Utilization of deep‐sea microbial esterase PHE21 to generate chiral sec‐butyl acetate through kinetic resolutions

We previously identified and characterized 1 novel deep‐sea microbial esterase PHE21 and used PHE21 as a green biocatalyst to generate chiral ethyl (S)‐3‐hydroxybutyrate, 1 key chiral chemical, with high enantiomeric excess and yield through kinetic resolution. Herein, we further explored the potential of esterase PHE21 in the enantioselective preparation of secondary butanol, which was hard to be resolved by lipases/esterases. Despite the fact that chiral secondary butanols and their ester derivatives were hard to prepare, esterase PHE21 was used as a green biocatalyst in the generation of (S)‐sec‐butyl acetate through hydrolytic reactions and the enantiomeric excess, and the conversion of (S)‐sec‐butyl acetate reached 98% and 52%, respectively, after process optimization. Esterase PHE21 was also used to generate (R)‐sec‐butyl acetate through asymmetric transesterification reactions, and the enantiomeric excess and conversion of (R)‐sec‐butyl acetate reached 64% and 43%, respectively, after process optimization. Deep‐sea microbial esterase PHE21 was characterized to be a useful biocatalyst in the kinetic resolution of secondary butanol and other valuable chiral secondary alcohols.     

The determination of enantiomer composition of 1‐((3‐chlorophenyl)‐(phenyl)methyl) amine and 1‐((3‐chlorophenyl)(phenyl)‐methyl) urea (Galodif) by NMR spectroscopy,chiral HPLC,and polarimetry

For the first time, a method for enantiomer resolution of the anticonvulsant Galodif (1‐((3‐chlorophenyl)(phenyl)methyl) urea) by chiral HPLC was developed, whereas the enantiomeric composition of 1‐((3‐chlorophenyl)(phenyl)methyl) amine—precursor in Galodif synthesis—cannot be resolved by this method. However, starting 1‐((3‐chlorophenyl)(phenyl)methyl) amine quantitatively forms diastereomeric N‐((3‐chlorophenyl)(phenyl)methyl)‐1‐camphorsulfonamides in reaction with chiral (1R)‐(+)‐ or (1S)‐(?)‐camphor‐10‐sulfonyl chlorides. The diastereomeric ratio of obtained camphorsulfonamides can be easily determined by NMR ¹H and ¹³C spectroscopy. The DFT calculations of specific rotation of Galodif enantiomers showed good agreement with experimental data. The absolute configuration of enantiomers was proposed for the first time.     

Analysis of stereoisomers of chiral drug by mass spectrometry

Chiral molecules are of great importance in the life science since individual enantiomers may differ in biological activity, mechanism, and toxicity, making it necessary to explore efficient chiral analysis methods. Chromatography approaches are often used to differentiate enantiomers while mass spectrometry (MS) was thought to be blind in chiral analysis. With the development of MS technique, it began to play a more and more crucial part in chiral observation. In this review, we will give a detailed introduction of the analysis methods related to MS for chiral drugs, including its mechanism, applications, and future development.     

Enantiomers of cis- and trans-3-(4-propyl-cyclopent-2-enyl) propyl acetate. A study on the bioactive conformation and chiral recognition of a moth sex pheromone component

The enantiomers of cis- and trans-3-(4-propyl-cyclopent-2-enyl) propyl acetate, which are conformationally constrained analogues of (Z)-5-decenyl acetate (1), a sex pheromone component of the turnip moth, Agrotis segetum, have been synthesized and tested using the electrophysiological single-sensillum technique. The analogues mimic a cisoid and transoid conformation of 1, respectively. In addition, the enantiomers of each of the cis- and trans-isomers are conformationally constrained analogues of enantiomeric cisoid and transoid conformations of 1. Thus, the compounds prepared and tested are well suited to investigate the nature of the bioactive conformation of the natural pheromone component 1 and the chiral sense of its interaction with the receptor. Electrophysiological single-sensillum recordings show that the activity of the most active cis-isomer, which has a (1S,4R)-configuration, is more than two orders of magnitude higher than that of the most active trans-isomer. Furthermore, the (1S,4R)-isomer is at least 100 times more active than its enantiomer. These results strongly support a previously proposed cisoid bioactive conformation of 1. Furthermore, the (1S,4R)-configuration of most active stereoisomer identifies the chiral sense of the interaction between the natural pheromone component 1 and its receptor.     

GABAA agonists: Resolution and pharmacology of (+)- and (−)-isoguvacine oxide

(3SR,4RS)-3,4-Epoxypiperidine-4-carboxylic acid (isoguvacine oxide) is a potent and specific GABA_A receptor agonist. Isoguvacine oxide, originally designed as a potentially alkylating agonist, turned out to interact with the GABA_A receptor in a fully reversible manner. The protected form of isoguvacine oxide, benzyl (3SR,4RS)-1-(benzyloxycarbonyl)-3,4-epoxypiperidine-4-carboxylate ( 1 ) (Scheme 1), has now been resolved by chiral chromatography using cellulose triacetate as a chiral stationary phase. The enantiomers of 1 (ee ≥ 98.8%) were subsequently deprotected by hydrogenolysis. Whereas both enantiomers of isoguvacine oxide were inactive as inhibitors of the binding of [³H]GABA to GABA_B receptor sites (IC₅₀ > 100 μM), (+)-isoguvacine oxide (IC₅₀ = 0.20 ± 0.03 μM) and (?)-isoguvacine oxide (IC₅₀ = 0.32 ± 0.05 μM) showed comparable potencies as inhibitors of the binding of [³H]GABA to GABA_A receptor sites. Furthermore, (+)-isoguvacine oxide (EC₅₀ = 6 μM; 33% relative efficacy) and (?)-isoguvacine oxide (EC₅₀ = 5 μM; 38% efficacy relative to 10 μM muscimol) were approximately equipotent and equiefficacious as stimulators of the binding of [³H]diazepam to the GABA_A receptor-associated benzodiazepine site. This latter effect is an in vitro estimate of GABA_A agonist efficacy. These pharmacological data for isoguvacine oxide and its enantiomers do not seem to support our earlier conception of the topography of the GABA_A recognition site(s), derived from extensive structure—activity studies on GABA_A agonists. Thus, the model of the GABA_A recognition site(s) comprising a narrow cleft or pocket, in which the anionic moiety of the zwitterionic GABA_A agonists is assumed to be embedded during receptor activation, may have to be revised. © 1995 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

Structural features affecting chiral resolution of cannabimimetic enantiomers by amylose 3,5-dimethylphenylcarbamate chiral stationary phase

The effect of structural features of six pairs of enantiomers of cannabimimetic compounds on their chromatographic resolution on an amylose tris(3,5-dimethylphenylcarbamate) chiral stationary phase was studied using various compositions of n-hexane with 2-propanol and ethanol. Structural analysis by molecular mechanics was also performed to verify that the 3D conformation within this family of compounds was preserved with substitution. The homologous enantiomeric pairs showed better resolution when there was an additional OH group near the chiral centers (position 7 on the cannabinoid structure). Better resolution was observed also for the enantiomeric pair that had the smaller alkyl side chain. These differences indicated that the additional OH group contributed to a better discrimination of the enantiomers by the chiral sites of the stationary phase and that the bulkier alkyl side chain reduced it. The chromatographic resolution of two enantiomeric pairs of nonclassical cannabinoids HU-249 and HU-250, HU-255 and HU-256, was compared both in ethanol and 2-propanol. Both enantiomeric pairs showed relatively high resolution and selectivity, but the rigid benzofuran analogs (HU-249 and HU-250) exhibited better resolution using 2-propanol, in spite of the flexibility of the open chain analog (HU-255 and HU-256) and its additional OH group. The elution order of all the cannabinoids was (+)/(?) using both solvents. Unusual solvent effects were displayed by one enantiomeric pair, Δ⁶-THC, which was resolved easily using 2-propanol, but whose elution order reversed with 1% ethanol in the mobile phase. Partial separation was obtained at 5% ethanol [elution order (+)/(?)] and full separation was obtained at 0.5% ethanol [elution order (?)/(+)]. © 1995 Wiley-Liss, Inc.