Chiral recognition compounds

Cyclodextrins are macrocyclic compounds comprised of D-glucose bonded through 1,4-a-linkages and produced enzymatically from starch. The greek letter which proceeds the name indicates the number of glucose units incorporated in the CD (eg, a = 6, /5 = 7, 7 = 8, etc). Cyclodextrins are toroidal shaped molecules with a relatively hydrophobic internal cavity (Fig. 6). The exterior is relatively hydrophilic because of the presence of the primary and secondary hydroxyls. The primary C-6 hydroxyls are free to rotate and can partially block the CD cavity from one end. The mouth of the opposite end of the CD cavity is encircled by the C-2 and C-3 secondary hydroxyls. The restricted conformational freedom and orientation of these secondary hydroxyls is thought to be responsible for the chiral recognition inherent in these molecules (77). 

Appllca.tlons. The first widely appHcable Ic separation of enantiomeric metallocene compounds was demonstrated on P-CD bonded-phase columns. Thirteen enantiomeric derivatives of ferrocene, mthenocene, and osmocene were resolved (7). Retention data for several of these compounds are listed in Table 2, and Figure 2a shows the Ic separation of three metallocene enantiomeric pairs. P-Cyclodextrin bonded phases were used to resolve several racemic and diastereomeric 2,2-binaphthyldiyl crown ethers (9). These compounds do not contain a chiral carbon but stiU exist as enantiomers because of the staggered position of adjacent naphthyl rings, and a high degree of chiral recognition was attained for most of these compounds (9). 

In order to reduce or eliminate off-line sample preparation, multidimensional chromatographic techniques have been employed in these difficult analyses. LC-GC has been employed in numerous applications that involve the analysis of poisonous compounds or metabolites from biological matrices such as fats and tissues, while GC-GC has been employed for complex samples, such as arson propellants and for samples in which special selectivity, such as chiral recognition, is required. Other techniques include on-line sample preparation methods, such as supercritical fluid extraction (SFE)-GC and LC-GC-GC. In many of these applications, the chromatographic method is coupled to mass spectrometry or another spectrometiic detector for final confirmation of the analyte identity, as required by many courts of law. 

Another important issue that must be considered in the development of CSPs for preparative separations is the solubility of enantiomers in the mobile phase. For example, the mixtures of hexane and polar solvents such as tetrahydrofuran, ethyl acetate, and 2-propanol typically used for normal-phase HPLC may not dissolve enough compound to overload the column. Since the selectivity of chiral recognition is strongly mobile phase-dependent, the development and optimization of the selector must be carried out in such a solvent that is well suited for the analytes. In contrast to analytical separations, separations on process scale do not require selectivity for a broad variety of racemates, since the unit often separates only a unique mixture of enantiomers. Therefore, a very high key-and-lock type selectivity, well known in the recognition of biosystems, would be most advantageous for the separation of a specific pair of enantiomers in large-scale production. 

The need for an overall and combined chemical structure and data search system became clear to us some time ago, and resulted in the decision to build CHIRBASE, a molecular-oriented factual database. The concept utilized in this database approach is related to the importance of molecular interactions in chiral recognition mechanisms. Solely a chemical information system permits the recognition of the molecular key fingerprints given by the new compound among thousands of fingerprints of known compounds available in a database. 

Chiral Recognition. The use of chiral hosts to form diastereomeric inclusion compounds was mentioned above. But in some cases it is possible for a host to form an inclusion compound with one enantiomer of a racemic guest, but not the other. This is caUed chiral recognition. One enantiomer fits into the chiral host cavity, the other does not. More often, both diastereomers are formed, but one forms more rapidly than the other, so that if the guest is removed it is already partially resolved (this is a form of kinetic resolution, see category 6). An example is use of the chiral crown ether (53) partially to resolve the racemic amine salt (54). " When an aqueous solution of 54 was... 

Naturally selectivity in a several-component system is primarily influenced by rather strong effects such as the presence or absence of strong H-bonding, but possibly also by much weaker interactions (e.g. of C—H... O type). In this regard, it is interesting to note the similarity between the selectivity exerted by such simple inclusion hosts, e.g. /, and chiral recognition 103). In both cases, weak interactions are of decisive importance in the final outcome of the experiments. Entropic effects have been demonstrated to play a fundamental role in enzymatic reactions 102,107 >. Conceptual similarity of inclusion compounds to more complicated associates is underlined thereby. 

A number of specialised stationary phases have been developed for the separation of chiral compounds. They are known as chiral stationary phases (CSPs) and consist of chiral molecules, usually bonded to microparticulate silica. The mechanism by which such CSPs discriminate between enantiomers (their chiral recognition, or enantioselectivity) is a matter of some debate, but it is known that a number of competing interactions can be involved. Columns packed with CSPs have recently become available commercially. They are some three to five times more expensive than conventional hplc columns, and some types can be used only with a restricted range of mobile phases. Some examples of CSPs are given below ... 

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