Surface‐imprinted microspheres prepared by a template‐oriented method for the chiral separation of amlodipine

The surface imprinting technique has been developed to overcome the mass‐transfer difficulty, but the utilization ratio of template molecules in the imprinting procedure still remains a challengeable task to be improved. In this work, specifically designed surface‐imprinted microspheres were prepared by a template‐oriented method for enantioseparation of amlodipine besylate. Submicron mesoporous silica microspheres were surface‐modified with double bonds, followed by polymerizing methacrylic acid to generate carboxyl modified mesoporous silica microspheres (PMAA@SiO₂). Afterwards, PMAA@SiO₂ was densely adsorbed with (S )‐amlodipine molecules to immobilize template molecules through multiple hydrogen bonding interactions. Then surface molecular imprinting was carried out by cross‐linking the carboxyl group of PMAA@SiO₂ with ethylene glycol diglycidyl ether. The surface‐imprinted microspheres showed fast binding kinetics of only 20 min for equilibrium adsorption, and the saturation adsorption capacity reached 137 mg/g. The imprinted materials displayed appreciable chiral separation ability when used as column chromatography for enantioseparation of amlodipine from amlodipine besylate, and the enantiomeric excess of (S )‐amlodipine reached 13.8% with only 2.3 cm column length by no extra chiral additives. Besides, the imprinted materials exhibited excellent reusability, and this allows the potential application for amplification production of amlodipine enantiomer.     

Highly Enantioselective Adsorption of Small Prochiral Molecules on a Chiral Intermetallic Compound

Intrinsically chiral surfaces of intermetallic compounds are shown to be novel materials for enantioselective processes. Their advantage is the significantly higher thermal and chemical stability, and therefore their extended application range for catalyzed chiral reactions compared to surfaces templated with chiral molecular modifiers or auxiliaries. On the Pd₁‐terminated PdGa(111) surface, room‐temperature adsorption of a small prochiral molecule (9‐ethynylphenanthrene) leads to exceptionally high enantiomeric excess ratios of up to 98 %. Our findings highlight the great potential of intrinsically chiral intermetallic compounds for the development of novel, enantioselective catalysts that can be operated at high temperatures and potentially also in harsh chemical environments.     

Templating mesoporous silica with chiral block copolymers and its application for enantioselective separation

In this paper we describe the synthesis of chiral mesoporous silica based on chiral block copolymers of poly(ethylene oxide) and of d-phenylalanine (PEO-b-D-Phe) as a surfactant template. The resulting porous structures are characterized by nitrogen sorption experiments, transmission electron microscopy, and small-angle XRD. It is shown that chiral block copolymers of PEO-b-D-Phe are effective as a surfactant template for the preparation of silica materials with highly ordered periodic mesoporous structures of hexagonal symmetry with a pore size of ca. 5 nm and high surface areas of ca. 700 m2/g. The enantioselectivity feature of this porous silica, after the extraction of the chiral copolymers, was examined by selective adsorption of enantiomers and racemic solutions of valine. The selective adsorption was measured by circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy. A chiral selectivity factor of 2.34 was found with the D enantiomer of valine adsorbed preferably.     

手性有序无机介孔硅用作气相色谱固定相

手性介孔材料在手性分离、不对称催化、手性传感等领域具有广泛的应用价值。手性有序无机介孔硅是一类介孔结构高度有序、不含有机成分的手性材料。该文采用D-苯丙氨酸为手性源合成手性有序无机介孔硅(COIMS),将其用聚硅氧烷(OV-1701)稀释后用作固定相制备毛细管气相色谱手性柱,并对该手性柱的分离性能进行了考察,8种手性化合物在该手性柱上得到了拆分。COIMS柱对直链烷烃、醇的分离也表现出良好的选择性。该柱还具有分析时间短、在较高温度下测定稳定等优点,其具有开发成高温手性固定相的潜力。     

Simultaneous, sequential quantitative achiral-chiral analysis by two-dimensional liquid chromatography

In general, chromatographic analysis of chiral compounds involves a minimum of two methods; a primary achiral method for assay and impurity analysis and a secondary chiral method for assessing chiral purity. Achiral method resolves main enantiomeric pairs of component from potential impurities and degradation products and chiral method resolves enantiomeric pairs of the main component and diastereomer pairs. Reversed-phase chromatographic methods are preferred for assay and impurity analysis (high efficiency and selectivity) whereas chiral separation is performed by reverse phase, normal phase, or polar organic mode. In this work, we have demonstrated the use of heart-cutting (LC-LC) and comprehensive two-dimensional liquid chromatography (LC × LC) in simultaneous, sequential achiral and chiral analysis and quantitation of minor, undesired enantiomer in the presence of major, desired enantiomer using phenylalanine as an example. The results were comparable between LC-LC and LC × LC with former offering better sensitivity and accuracy. The quantitation range was over three orders of magnitude with undesired D-phenylalanine detected at approximately 0.3% in the presence of predominant, desired L-phenylalanine (99.7%). The limit of quantitation was comparable to conventional high-performance liquid chromatography. A reversed-phase C18 achiral column in the primary and reversed-phase Chirobiotic Tag chiral column in the secondary dimension were used with a compatible mobile phase.     

Rapid and efficient enantioseparation of (S)‐amlodipine by surface‐imprinted core–shell polymer microspheres

We present a protocol for the preparation of surface‐imprinted polymer microspheres by core–shell precipitation polymerization for the enantioseparation of (S)‐amlodipine. In this work, submicron mesoporous silica microspheres were prepared with gemini cationic surfactant as soft template. Molecularly imprinted polymers were coated on the silica supports with a low level of crosslinking, and the thickness of the thin‐walled imprinted shell was about 45 nm. The material showed fast binding kinetics for (S)‐amlodipine (within only 20 min for complete equilibrium), and the saturation adsorption capacity reached 309.2 mg/g, indicating the good accessibility of binding sites and improved mass transfer for target molecule. The imprinted microspheres exhibited an appreciable enantiomeric excess of (S)‐amlodipine of 11.3% when used as a glass chromatography column for the enantioseparation of (S)‐amlodipine from amlodipine besylate without extra chiral additives. The surface‐imprinted materials display potentially amplification for industrial enantioseparation of (S)‐amlodipine.     

Copolymeric (lR-trans)-N,N'-1,2-cyclohexylene-bisbenzamide oligodimethylsiloxane chiral stationary phase for gas chromatography

A copolymeric stationary phase, consisting of a chiral selective part, i.e. (1R-trans)-N,N'-1,2-cyclohexylenebisbenzamide, and an efficient siloxane oligomeric part, was successfully applied to open tubular column GC analysis. The efficiency and the chiral selectivity of this stationary phase were studied in detail, and high capacity and efficiency at elevated GC temperatures were especially noted. Several drugs and other enantiomeric pairs were separated. The shown examples demonstrate a broad application range for this type of chiral stationary phase in GC analysis.     

Evaluation and Comparison of a 3,5‐Dimethylphenyl Isocyanate Teicoplanin with Phenyl Isocyanate Teicoplanin Chiral Stationary Phase Using RP‐HPLC

HPLC enantiomeric separations of 8 α‐amino acids were achieved using two self‐made chiral stationary phases (CSP)–phenyl isocyanate teicoplanin (Phe‐TE) and 3,5‐dimethylphenyl isocyanate teicoplanin (DMP‐TE), using reversed phase mobile phases. The Phe‐TE or the DMP‐TE CSP was prepared from the TE using derivative agents, phenyl isocyanate or 3,5‐dimethylphenyl isocyanate, respectively. The chromatographic results were given as the retention, selectivity, resolution factor and the enantioselective free energy difference corresponding to the separation of the two enantiomers. The effect of pH, organic modifier type and amount were discussed, and the stereoselectivities for two TE‐based CSPs were compared. The chiral selectivity factor for six α‐amino acids on DMP‐TE is somewhat bigger than that on Phe‐TE CSP under reversed phase (RP) mode. Comparison of the enantiomeric separations using self‐made Phe‐TE and DMP‐TE was conducted to gain a better understanding of the chiral recognition mechanism of the macrocyclic glycopeptide CSP.     

Self-assembled monolayer protection of chiral-imprinted mesoporous platinum electrodes for highly enantioselective synthesis

In modern chemistry, chiral (electro)catalysis is a powerful strategy to produce enantiomerically pure compounds (EPC). However, it still struggles with uncontrollable stereochemistry due to side reactions, eventually producing a racemic mixture. To overcome this important challenge, a well-controlled design of chiral catalyst materials is mandatory to produce enantiomers with acceptable purity. In this context, we propose the synergetic combination of two strategies, namely the elaboration of mesoporous Pt films, imprinted with chiral recognition sites, together with the spatially controlled formation of a self-assembled monolayer. Chiral imprinted metals have been previously suggested as electrode materials for enantioselective recognition, separation and synthesis. However, the outermost surface of such electrodes is lacking chiral information and thus leads to unspecific reactions. Functionalising selectively this part of the electrode with a monolayer of organosulfur ligands allows an almost total suppression of undesired side reactions and thus leads to a boost of enantiomeric excess to values of over 90% when using these surfaces in the frame of enantioselective electrosynthesis. In addition, this strategy also decreases the total reaction time by one order of magnitude. The study therefore opens up promising perspectives for the development of heterogeneous enantioselective electrocatalysis strategies.

Highly enantioselective electrosynthesis with up to 90% ee and short reaction times can be achieved with alkanethiol protected chiral imprinted mesoporous Pt surfaces.     

Selectivity of amylose tris(3,5-dimethylphenyl-carbamate) chiral stationary phase as a function of its structure altered by changing concentration of ethanol or 2-propanol mobile-phase modifier

In a previous publication, solid-state NMR data showed that the structure of Chiralpak AD chiral stationary phase (CSP) was altered by changing the concentration of ethanol or 2-propanol modifier in the chromatographic mobile phase. This present paper reports the effect of the CSP structural change on chiral selectivity alpha. The enantiomers of a series of compounds were chromatographed using ethanol or 2-propanol in various concentrations as mobile-phase modifier and the alpha values were determined. Changes of alpha were observed for some enantiomeric pairs when ethanol and 2-propanol concentrations were varied. These data correlate with previous findings on the structural changes of the CSP. Not every enantiomeric pair showed changes in alpha as the alcohol concentration was varied, indicating that the chiral selectivity depends not only on the CSP's structure, but also on the structures of the analytes.     

Characterization and Crystal Structure of some Schiff Base Copper(II) Complexes derived from Enantiomeric Pairs of Chiral Amines

Copper(II) complexes of three chiral enantiomeric pairs of o‐hydroxy Schiff bases derived from (R)‐(+)‐1‐phenylethylamine and (S)‐(‐)‐1‐phenylethylamine, were prepared and characterized. Elemental analyses, specific rotation, i.r., electronic, cd and mass spectra,and some X‐ray crystal structures were obtained. The X‐ray study of four complexes shows that the geometry around the metal atom is distorted square planar. Epr studies of all these complexes in DMF solution at 77 K suggest that their geometries in solution are slightly different to that observed in the solid state by X‐ray crystallography. Although, cd spectra only show charge transfer absorptions, the data confirm the enantiomeric character of the three pairs of the obtained complexes.     

Heterogeneous chiral Mn(III) salen catalysts for the epoxidation of unfunctionalized olefins immobilized on mesoporous materials with different pore sizes

Two chiral Mn(III) salen complexes were immobilized onto a series of mesoporous MCM-41 and MCM-48 materials with different pore sizes and the as-synthesized catalysts were active and enantioselective for the asymmetric epoxidation of styrene and indene. The results of XRD, FTIR, DR UV-vis, and N₂ sorption showed that the chiral Mn(III) salen complexes were anchored in the channels of mesoporous materials. The influence of organic silicane dosage on the catalytic performance was studied and the optimum dosage of organic silicane for preparing heterogeneous catalysts was determined. Furthermore, the effect of the fine-tuning of pore size on the performance of heterogeneous catalysts was discussed. In general, larger pore size of the supports could lead to higher conversions and the compatible pore size with substrate may be responsible for the improved enantiomeric excess (ee) values.     

The influence of the memory effect on preparative separations using the amylose tris(3,5-dimethylphenylcarbamate) stationary phase

Acid/base mobile phase modifiers affect enantioseparations in ways that are not yet understood for the lack of systematic studies, which makes the scale-up of preparative separations difficult to predict. Shifts of the selectivity of certain pairs of enantiomers upon exposure of the column to these modifiers is amply documented. Furthermore, once the modifier has been removed from the mobile phase, the improved selectivity remains, this phenomenon has been named the memory effect. We selected four enantiomeric pairs for a systematic study of this memory effect. The selectivity of 4-chlorophenylalanine ethyl ester (4CPEE) improves after a solution of ethanesulfonic acid (ESA) is percolated through the column. The selectivity of propranolol HCl and Tröger's base increases after a solution of diiospropylethylamine is percolated through the column. The selectivity of these three pairs of enantiomers is inversely affected by percolation of the opposite acid/base solution. Each of these four compounds reached an equilibrium concentration that maintained the separation of the enantiomeric pairs. In contrast, the selectivity of trans-stilbene oxide (TSO) is not affected by either acid/base modifier. Preparative separations can be used to detect changes in the active surface of the chiral polymer stationary phase by measuring the change in selectivity and resolution when modifiers are used. Preparative method development was carried out on analytical columns and scale-up to 1 cm ID columns were performed in this study.     

THERMODYNAMIC ANALYSIS OF THE ENANTIOMER RESOLUTION OF TFA-Ala-OMe, TFA-Ala-Ala-OMe, AND TFA-Ala-Ala-Ala-OMe BY GAS CHROMATOGRAPHY ON CHIRASIL-VAL

TFA-Ala-OMe, TFA-Ala-Ala-OMe, and TFA-Ala-Ala-Ala-OMe can be separated into 1, 2, and 4 enantiomeric pairs, respectively, by GC on the chiral stationary phase Chirasil-Val. The selectivity of the chiral stationary phase for the different stereoisomers is controlled by both interaction enthalpy and interaction entropy. The interaction enthalpy is approximately proportional to the number of Ala units. Although the whole molecule is involved in the interaction, the C-terminus plays an important role. The elution order of DDD- and LLL-TFA-Ala-Ala-Ala-OMe is opposite to the order of the enhalpy values, and the ratio of net retention data t'r(DDD)/t'r(LLL) is increased with increasing temperature. By lowering the temperature, peak crossing of the enantiomeric pair has been observed. Below the isoselective temperature Tiso' the order of elution is ruled by the enthalpy of interaction, above Tiso by the entropy of interaction.     

Iridium‐Catalyzed Asymmetric Hydrogenation of Unfunctionalized Exocyclic C=C Bonds

An iridium‐catalyzed asymmetric hydrogenation of unfunctionalized exocyclic C=C bonds was performed by using an axially flexible chiral phosphine–oxazoline ligand, providing the desired chiral 1‐benzyl‐2,3‐dihydro‐1H‐indene products with up to 98 % ee (enantiomeric excess). This represents the first general hydrogenation of unfunctionalized exocyclic olefins with high selectivity reported thus far. The additive acetate ion plays an important role in the reaction's high enantioselectivity. The chiral product can be further transformed into key intermediates required for the synthesis of an important insecticide and a drug compound.     

Responsive Mesoporous Photonic Cellulose Films by Supramolecular Cotemplating

Cellulose‐based materials have been and continue to be exceptionally important for humankind. Considering the bioavailability and societal relevance of cellulose, turning this renewable resource into an active material is a vital step towards sustainability. Herein we report a new form of cellulose‐derived material that combines tunable photonic properties with a unique mesoporous structure resulting from a new supramolecular cotemplating method. A composite of cellulose nanocrystals and a urea–formaldehyde resin organizes into a chiral nematic assembly, which yields a chiral nematic mesoporous continuum of desulfated cellulose nanocrystals after alkaline treatment. The mesoporous photonic cellulose (MPC) films undergo rapid and reversible changes in color upon swelling, and can be used for pressure sensing. These new active mesoporous cellulosic materials have potential applications in biosensing, optics, functional membranes, chiral separation, and tissue engineering.     

The 3-amino-derivative of γ-cyclodextrin as chiral selector of Dns-amino acids in electrokinetic chromatography

The enantioseparation of the enantiomeric pairs of 10 Dns derivatives of α-amino acids was successfully carried out by using for the first time the 3-amino derivative of the γ-cyclodextrin. The effects of pH and selector concentration on the migration times and the resolutions of analytes were studied in detail. 3-Deoxy-3-amino-2(S),3(R)-γ-cyclodextrin (GCD3AM) shows very good chiral recognition ability even at very low concentrations at all the three investigated values of pH, as shown by the very large values of selectivity and resolution towards several pairs of amino acids. The role played by the cavity, the substitution site and the protonation equilibria on the observed properties of chiral selectivity, on varying the specific amino acid involved, is discussed.     

Enantiomeric separation of some common controlled stimulants by capillary electrophoresis with contactless conductivity detection

CE methods with capacitively coupled contactless conductivity detection (C⁴D) were developed for the enantiomeric separation of the following stimulants: amphetamine (AP), methamphetamine (MA), ephedrine (EP), pseudoephedrine (PE), norephedrine (NE) and norpseudoephedrine (NPE). Acetic acid (pH 2.5 and 2.8) was found to be the optimal background electrolyte for the CE‐C⁴D system. The chiral selectors, carboxymethyl‐β‐cyclodextrin (CMBCD), heptakis(2,6‐di‐O‐methyl)‐β‐cyclodextrin (DMBCD) and chiral crown ether (+)‐(18‐crown‐6)‐2,3,11,12‐tetracarboxylic acid (18C6H₄), were investigated for their enantioseparation properties in the BGE. The use of either a single or a combination of two chiral selectors was chosen to obtain optimal condition of enantiomeric selectivity. Enantiomeric separation of AP and MA was achieved using the single chiral selector CMBCD and (hydroxypropyl)methyl cellulose (HPMC) as the modifier. A combination of the two chiral selectors, CMBCD and DMBCD and HPMC as the modifier, was required for enantiomeric separation of EP and PE. In addition, a combination of DMBCD and 18C6H₄ was successfully applied for the enantiomeric separation of NE and NPE. The detection limits of the enantiomers were found to be in the range of 2.3–5.7 μmol/L. Good precisions of migration time and peak area were obtained. The developed CE‐C⁴D method was successfully applied to urine samples of athletes for the identification of enantiomers of the detected stimulants.     

Chiral mesoporous silica: chiral construction and imprinting via cooperative self-assembly of amphiphiles and silica precursors

Fabrication of chiral materials and revealing the mechanisms involved in their formation are crucial issues in scientific research. The combination of cooperative self-assembly routes and the chiral templating process favors the formation of inorganic chiral materials with highly ordered mesostructures. This tutorial review highlights the recent research on chiral mesoporous silica (CMS) of hierarchical helical constructions transcribed from organic templates. The rules and mechanisms involved in the synthesis of CMS and related materials, especially the novel expression of chirality and imprinting of helical micellar superstructure by the functional groups immobilized on the mesopore surface, provide us with a deeper insight into the chiral self-assembly process and new strategies for the design and application of chiral materials. This review is addressed to researchers and students interested in chiral chemistry, supramolecular chemistry and mesoporous materials (53 references).     

Simultaneous separation of different enantiomeric pairs in capillary electrophoresis by mixing different hemispherodextrins,a very versatile class of receptors

Six different racemates of the profen family were used as analytes in order to test the chiral selector properties of three members of a new class of cyclodextrin derivatives, hemispherodextrins (HMs), in capillary electrophoresis. In addition to experiments carried out to separate each enantiomeric pair one by one, other experiments were carried out on samples containing all six enantiomeric pairs. Electropherograms were obtained either by adding a single HM to the background electrolyte (BGE), or a binary mixture of HMs. The results obtained confirm the excellent chiral selector properties of the HMs, and furthermore show that these compounds can also be used for achiral selection. When mixing different HMs, a complementary effect in chiral selectivity is observed, which, in our opinion, deserves further study.