Chiral recognition of peptide enantiomers by cinchona alkaloid derived chiral selectors: mechanistic investigations by liquid chromatography, NMR spectroscopy, and molecular modeling

The chiral recognition mechanism of a cinchona alkaloid based chiral selector for N-protected peptide enantiomers was investigated. A chiral stationary phase derived from this selector was employed for liquid chromatographic enantiomer separations. It showed exceptionally high enantiomer discrimination for the (all-R)- and (all-S)-enantiomers of dialanine (alpha = 20), while a pronounced loss of chiral recognition occurred upon the insertion of an additional alanine residue into the peptide backbone. This reduction of enantioselectivity was investigated in great detail by NMR spectroscopy of complexes of the chiral selector and the analyte enantiomers accompanied by molecular modeling studies. Investigation of intramolecular NOEs provided the conformational states of the free and complexed forms of the selector. The analysis of complexation-induced shifts yielded information on intermolecular interactions and allowed us to propose binding models, which were further supported by the observation of intermolecular NOEs, indicating the relative arrangements of selector and analytes. Stochastic molecular dynamics simulations were able to reproduce the chromatographic retention orders and energy differences, as well as the intermolecular NOEs. The computational data were used to evaluate the intermolecular forces responsible for analyte binding. In addition, the relative contributions of the fragments of the chiral selector to the enantioselective binding event were assessed. A spatial arrangement of the chiral selector and the analyte allowing the primary ionic interaction as well as hydrogen bonding and pi-pi-stacking to take place simultaneously was found to be essential to obtain very high enantioselectivities.     

X-ray Crystallographic Evidence in Support of a Proposed Chiral Recognition Mechanism

A new family of pi-basic chiral selectors has been developed and employed in the separation of enantiomers by liquid chromatography. These chiral selectors, derived from (S)-proline and designed from mechanistic considerations, show high levels of discrimination between the enantiomers of N-(3,5-dinitrobenzoyl)amino acid esters and amides. A considerable amount of chromatographic data has been assembled, all of it consistent with the proposed chiral recognition mechanism. Moreover, this mechanism is supported by induced chemical shift differences and intermolecular NOE data previously obtained in solution with an equimolar mixture of (S)-1 and (S)-2. A crystalline 1:1 complex of (S)-1 and (S)-2 has been obtained and analyzed by X-ray crystallography. The structure of this complex in the solid state illustrates the essential features of the mechanism proposed to account for chiral recognition between chiral stationary phase (CSP) 3 and the enantiomers of 2 and related analytes. In addition, the orientation of the two components in the solid state is in close agreement with the structure of the more stable diastereomeric complex deduced from solution-state NMR evidence relating to the same system.     

Chiral Separation of Organic Phosphonate Compounds on Polysaccharide-Based Chiral Stationary Phases

Four polysaccharide-based chiral stationary phases have been used to separate the enantiomers of fourteen O,O-dialkyl-1-benzyloxycarbonyl-aminoarylmethyl phosphonates. These polysaccharide-based chiral stationary phases are Chiralpak AD, Chiralpak AS, Chiralcel OG and Chiralcel OJ. The data obtained indicate that the chiral separation ability for these organophosphonate compounds are in the order Chiralpak AD > Chiralcel OG > Chiralcel OJ > Chiralpak AS. With Chiralpak AD, all of the studied compounds could be easily baseline separated. Those two polysaccharides possess different chiral discrimination mechanism due to of the difference of the conformational structures of amylose and cellulose. The chiral discrimination of derivatized amylose chiral stationary phases were based on the stereogenic fit of the analytes in the helical structures of amylose and the transient diastereomeric complex formation between the analyte and the amylose CSP through π–π interaction H-bond interactions and induced dipole interactions exerted by the substituents on the analyte molecules. The chiral discrimination, in case of derivatized cellulose chiral stationary phase is based on the stereogenic fit of the analytes in the grooves of cellulose followed by interactions mentioned above between the analytes and the cellulose CSP.     

Unprecedented chiral molecular recognition in a C3-symmetric environment.

The enantiomeric recognition of alpha-chiral primary ammonium ions has been studied with benzene-based tripodal tris(oxazoline) receptors. Contrary to the literature and our expectation, a good level of chiral discrimination is observed with one of the tripodal receptors, which provides a C3-symmetric chiral environment on guest binding. The chiral discrimination has been found to be general in the case of alpha-aryl substituted guests, suggesting pi-pi interactions as an important factor. This result raises a question with respect to the origin of the chiral discrimination since little steric or electronic difference is expected between the diastereomeric inclusion complexes. Binding studies by NMR titration and isothermal titration calorimetry show that the chiral discrimination results from the different thermodynamic stabilities between the diastereomeric complexes and that the host-guest complex formation is driven by favorable enthalpy changes with a minor negative contribution by entropy changes. The X-ray crystal structures for both of the diastereomeric inclusion complexes are resolved, which unambiguously show the binding mode and provide clues on the origin of the chiral discrimination. Bond angle analyses indicate that the minor complex experiences a larger steric strain, which is discernible when it is viewed from "three-body" interactions between the host and the guest. The guest and oxazoline phenyl rings are well stacked, indicating interplay of the pi-pi interactions. The pi-pi interactions are believed to stabilize host-guest complexes, thereby endowing the highly flexible receptors with a substantial enantio-discrimination.     

Chiral recognition in the solid state: crystallographically characterized diastereomeric co-crystals between a synthetic chiral selector (Whelk-O1) and a representative chiral analyte

Designed to distinguish between the enantiomers of compounds possessing commonly occurring structural features, the chiral selector used in the chiral stationary phase (CSP) 1 (Whelk-O1) is broadly applicable. In an effort to further the understanding of the mechanism of chiral recognition with this chiral selector, both diastereomeric combinations of selector 1 and a representative analyte, the pivalamide of p-bromo-α-phenylethylamine, 2, were successfully co-crystallized and characterized by single crystal X-ray diffraction. The crystal corresponding to the complex that is more stable in solution is consistent with our previously reported chiral recognition model. The aromatic portion of 2 is in the cleft of selector 1, displaying both face-to-face and face-to-edge π–π interactions as well as a hydrogen bond between the benzamide proton of the selector and the carbonyl oxygen of the analyte. For the crystal corresponding to the complex, which is less stable in solution, the aromatic portion of 2 is not in the cleft of selector 1, having approached from the opposite face of the π-acidic dinitrobenzamide moiety so as to undergo face-to-face π–π and hydrogen bonding interactions. Comparisons of these structures and their relevance to enantioselective chromatography are also discussed.     

Observation of intermolecular interactions in large protein complexes by 2D-double difference nuclear Overhauser enhancement spectroscopy: application to the 44 kDa interferon-receptor complex

NMR detection of intermolecular interactions between protons in large protein complexes is very challenging because it is difficult to distinguish between weak NOEs from intermolecular interactions and the much larger number of strong intramolecular NOEs. This challenging task is exacerbated by the decrease in signal-to-noise ratio in the often used isotope-edited and isotope-filtered experiments as a result of enhanced T(2) relaxation. Here, we calculate a double difference spectrum that shows exclusively intermolecular NOEs and manifests the good signal-to-noise ratio in 2D homonuclear NOESY spectra even for large proteins. The method is straightforward and results in a complete picture of all intermolecular interactions involving non exchangeable protons. Ninety-seven such (1)H-(1)H NOEs were assigned for the 44 KDa interferon-α2/IFNAR2 complex and used for docking these two proteins. The symmetry of the difference spectrum, its superb resolution, and unprecedented signal-to-noise ratio in this large protein/receptor complex suggest that this method is generally applicable to study large biopolymeric complexes.     

A study of chiral recognition for NBD-derivatives on a Pirkle-type chiral stationary phase.

A chiral stationary phase (CSP 1) derived from an (S)-N-3,5-dinitrobenzoyl-1-naphthylglycine showed excellent enantiomeric separation for amino acid derivatives with a fluorogenic reagent, 4-fluoro-7-nitro-2,1,3-benzoxadiazole (NBD-F), in high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). We compared elution profiles (separation factor and elution order) of NBD-amino acids and their analogs on HPLC, to determine the diastereomeric complex between the chiral moiety of CSP 1 and NBD-amino acid, which is responsible for the chiral recognition. (1)H-NMR studies of a mixture of model compound of CSP 1 and NBD-Ala suggest that the diastereomeric complex is composed of two hydrogen bonding sites at the amino proton and oxygen atom, and a pi-pi interaction by the benzofurazan structure (2,1,3-benzoxadiazole) of NBD-amino acid. Furthermore CSP 1 was able to separate esters, amides and alpha-methyl amino acids derivatized with NBD-F.     

NMR studies of chiral discrimination by phenylcarbamate derivatives of cellulose

Chiral recognition mechanism of tris(4-trimethylsilylphenylcarbamate) ( 1) and tris(5-fluoro-2-methylphenylcarbamate) ( 2 ) of cellulose which are effective chiral stationary phases for HPLC were investigated using NMR spectroscopy. The phenylcarbamate derivatives are soluble in chloroform and exhibited chiral discrimination for several enantiomers in NMR as well as in HPLC. Especially, enantiomers of 2,2'-dihydroxy-1,1'-binaphthyl ( 4 ) were distinctly discriminated by 2 in ¹H and ¹³C NMR spectroscopies. The binding geometry and dynamics between 2 and the enantiomers of ⁴ were investigated on the basis of spin-lattice relaxation time, ¹H NMR titrations, and intermolecular NOEs in the presence of ². These NMR data were fully consistent with the chromatographic elution order. On the basis of these results, combined with molecular modeling, the chiral discrimination mechanism is proposed.     

Use of NMR binding interaction mapping techniques to examine interactions of chiral molecules with molecular micelles

NMR spectroscopy was used to investigate the association of four chiral molecules with the molecular micelle poly(sodium N-undecanoyl-l-leucylvalinate) (poly(SULV)). Adding poly(SULV) to the background electrolyte in electrokinetic chromatography (EKC) allows enantiomeric resolution to be achieved because enantiomers interact differentially with the chiral centers on the micelle headgroups as they both move in the electric field. Pulsed field gradient diffusion experiments were used to measure molecular micelle association constants for enantiomers of each analyte. These association constants were consistent with EKC elution order for the compounds 1,1'-binaphthyl-2,2'-diyl hydrogen phosphate (BNP), 1,1'-bi-2-naphthol (BOH), and Troger's base. In addition, nuclear Overhauser enhancement spectroscopy, nuclear Overhauser effect difference, and intermolecular cross relaxation diffusion experiments were used to generate binding interaction maps for each chiral analyte. These maps showed that BNP and BOH inserted into the surfactant headgroup's major chiral groove and interacted predominately with the leucine chiral center. (+)-Troger's base was also found to insert into the major chiral groove. However, this compound instead interacted with the valine chiral atom. In diffusion experiments with long diffusion times, the linearized diffusion plots for each analyte-molecular micelle mixture showed curvature characteristic of intermolecular cross relaxation. The magnitude of this effect scaled linearly with the analytes' free energies of binding.     

Structures of protein-protein complexes are docked using only NMR restraints from residual dipolar coupling and chemical shift perturbations

NMR structures of protein-protein and protein-ligand complexes rely heavily on intermolecular NOEs. Recent work has shown that if no significant conformational changes occur upon complex formation residual dipolar coupling can replace most of the NOE restraints in protein-protein complexes, while restraints derived from chemical shift perturbations can largely replace intermolecular NOEs in protein-ligand structures. By combining restraints from chemical shift perturbations with orientation restraints derived from measurements of residual dipolar couplings, we show that the structure of the EIN-HPr complex can be calculated without NOE restraints. The final structure, built from the crystal structures of EIN and HPr in their uncomplexed form and docked only with NMR restraints, places HPr within 2.5 A of the position determined from the mean NMR structure of the complex.     

Steric and electronic effects in the resolution of enantiomeric amides on a commercially available Pirkle-type high-performance liquid chromatographic chiral stationary phase

The steric and electronic effects in the resolution of enantiomeric amides on a commercially available (R)-N-(3,5-dinitrobenzoyl)phenylglycine chiral stationary phase (CSP) have been investigated. Several homologous series of enantiomeric amides were synthesized from alkyl and aromatic amines and from alkyl and aromatic acids. The results of the study indicate that chiral recognition is based on the formation of diastereomeric solute-CSP complexes that are due to attractive interactions located on a single bond in both the solute and CSP and on steric interactions within the complexes. The magnitude of the chiral resolution appears to depend on the steric bulk at the chiral center. In addition, when the amides synthesized from chiral amines were chromatographed, the (R)-enantiomers eluted first, whereas the opposite elution order was found for the amides synthesized from enantiomeric carboxylic acids. Thus, the amide moiety not only provides the sites of attractive interaction between the solute and CSP, but also influences the spatial orientation of the two molecules, thereby affecting the relative stabilities of the two diastereomeric complexes and determining the enantiomeric elution order.     

"Click" preparation of hindered cyclodextrin chiral stationary phases and their efficient resolution in high performance liquid chromatography

This communication reports the preparation of two new cyclodextrin (CD) chiral stationary phases (CSPs): heptakis(6-deoxy-6-azido)-β-CD and heptakis(6-deoxy-6-azido-phenylcarbamoylated)-β-CD CSPs that perform quite differently to our previously reported “click” immobilized CD-CSPs. These CSPs are sterically congested at the narrow mouth of the CD and exhibit chiral discrimination between over 40 pairs of enantiomers in high performance liquid chromatography. The free hydroxyl CSP afforded better separation of indoprofen, ketoprofen, Tröger's base, hydroxyl, carboxylic and dansyl amino acids than did the phenylcarbamoylated CSP, while the latter was better at resolving aryl alcohols, flavonoids, β-blockers and β-agonists. The current work shows that enantiodiscrimination achieved with different CSPs for different classes of analyte may be correlated with CD accessibility and peripheral functionality.     

Last ten years (2008–2018) of chiral ligand‐exchange chromatography in HPLC: An updated review

Chiral ligand‐exchange chromatography is one of the elective strategies for the direct enantioresolution of small chelating compounds: amino acids, diamines, amino alcohols, diols, small peptides, etc. Unlike other methods, the interaction between chiral selector and analyte enantiomers is mediated by a cation, thus producing diastereomeric ternary complexes. Two main approaches are conventionally applied in chiral ligand‐exchange chromatography. The first relies upon chiral stationary phases where the chiral selector is either covalently immobilized or physically adsorbed onto suitable packing materials (coated phases). In the second approach, chiral molecules are added to the eluent, thus generating chiral eluent systems. Among the advantages of chiral ligand‐exchange chromatography, the generation of UV/vis‐active metal complexes, and the use of commercially available or easy‐to‐synthesize chiral selectors, in combination to rather inexpensive achiral columns for coated phases and chiral eluents, are noteworthy. Besides amino acids and amino alcohols, other species have proven suitable for chiral ligand‐exchange chromatography applications. Recently, the use of either chiral ionic liquids or micellar liquid chromatography systems as well as the successful off‐column formation of diastereomeric complexes have expanded the selectivity profiles and application fields. All of these issues are touched in the review, shedding light to the contributions appeared in the last decade.     

Chiral resolution of diphenylalanine by high-performance liquid chromatography on a crown-ether-based chiral stationary phase and by NMR spectroscopy

Summary The enantiomers of diphenylalanine (DPA) were well separated by chiral HPLC and NMR spectroscopy on the chiral stationary phase (CSP) derived from (18-crown-6)-2,3,11,12-tetracarboxylic acid (18-C-6-TA). The chromatographic parameters such as separation factors and retention times were greatly influenced by the mobile phase conditions. The (+)-18-C-6-TA used in the CSP was also employed as a chiral solvating agent for the enantiodiscrimination of the DPA enantiomers by NMR spectroscopy. The proton of the DPA analyte showing the chemical shift nonequivalences was used in determining the enantiomeric composition of the analyte.     

Chiral discrimination of D- and L-amino acids using iodinated tyrosines as chiral references: Effect of iodine substituent

L-Tyrosine and iodinated L-tyrosines, i.e., 3-iodo-L-tyrosine and 3,5-diiodo-L-tyrosine, are successfully used as chiral references for the chiral discrimination of aliphatic, acidic, and aromatic amino acids. Chiral discrimination is achieved by investigating the collision-induced dissociation spectra of the trimeric complex [Cu(II)(ref)(2)(A) - H](+) ion generated by electro spraying the mixture of D- or L-analyte amino acid (A), chiral reference ligand (ref) and M(II)Cl(2) (M = Ni and Cu). The relative abundances of fragment ions resulted by the competitive loss of reference and analyte amino acids are considered for measuring the degree of chiral discrimination by applying the kinetic method. The chiral discrimination ability increases as the number of iodine atom increases on the aromatic ring of the reference and the discrimination is better with Cu when compared with Ni. A large chiral discrimination is obtained for aliphatic and aromatic amino acids using iodinated L-tyrosine as the reference. Computational studies on the different stabilities of the diastereomeric complexes also support the observed differences measured by the kinetic method. The suitability of the method in the measurement of enantiomeric excess over the range of 2% to 100% ee with relative error 0.28% to 1.6% is also demonstrated.     

Chiral discrimination studies of (+)-(18-crown-6)-2,3,11,12-tetracarboxylic acid by high-performance liquid chromatography and NMR spectroscopy

Chiral discrimination studies using (+)-(18-crown-6)-2,3,11,12-tetracarboxylic acid (18-C-6-TA) as a chiral selector were performed by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and NMR spectroscopy. The enantiomers of alanine (Ala) or alanine methyl ester (Ala-ME) were well separated on the chiral stationary phases (CSPs) derived from (+)-18-C-6-TA by HPLC. The chiral selector, (+)-18-C-6-TA, used in the CSP was also applied for the chiral discrimination of the Ala and Ala-ME enantiomers, and it discriminated these enantiomers successfully by NMR spectroscopy. The chemical shift differences (Delta Delta delta) of the alpha-proton of these enantiomers in the presence of an equimolecular solution of 18-C-6-TA were observed to be 0.10 ppm for Ala in methanol-d4 containing 10 mM H2SO4 and 0.11 ppm for Ala-ME in methanol-d4. The observed NMR results agreed with the chromatographic data on the (+)-18-C-6-TA-derived CSP by HPLC in terms of both the elution order and solvents effects.     

"Figure Eight" Cyclooctapyrroles: Enantiomeric Separation and Determination of the Absolute Configuration of a Binuclear Metal Complex

The hypothesized racemate separation of cyclooctapyrroles with chiral figure eight conformations-and of metal complexes derived from these ligands-has been realized. The cyclooctapyrrole 1 (as hexadecaethyl derivative), which according to NMR analysis exhibits restricted mobility, and its binuclear palladium and copper complexes could be separated into stable enantiomers by preparative chromatography on a chiral phase. In the case of the palladium complex and the free ligand 1 it was also possible to determine the absolute configuration of the enantiomers.     

Intermolecular (1)H-(1)H Two-Dimensional Nuclear Overhauser Enhancements in the Characterization of a Rationally Designed Chiral Recognition System

Chiral stationary phases (CSPs) for liquid chromatography derived from N-(acyl)proline-3,5-dimethylanilides separate the enantiomers of N-(3,5-dinitrobenzoyl)-alpha-amino esters and amides with high levels of selectivity. These CSPs have been used to assemble a large body of chromatographic data which indirectly supports the validity of the mechanistic rationale originally used in the design of these CSPs. We herein report (1)H and (13)C chemical shift data obtained when the (S)-enantiomer of chiral solvating agent (CSA) 3, a soluble analogue of the selector used in CSP (S)-1, acts on each of the enantiomers of the dimethylamide of N-(3,5-dinitrobenzoyl)leucine, 2. The changes in chemical shift in the mixture of (S)-2 and (S)-3 support the existence of those interactions thought to be essential to chiral recognition in this system. In addition, significant intermolecular NOESY enhancements are observed in this mixture. These NOE data are consistent with the structure expected for the more stable diastereomeric adsorbate formed between (S)-2 and the (S)-proline-derived CSP 1. No intermolecular NOEs are observed for corresponding mixtures of the chiral solvating agent (S)-3 and (R)-2, the enantiomer least retained on (S)-CSP 1.     

(+)-(18-Crown-6)-2,3,11,12-tetracarboxylic acid and its Ytterbium(III) complex as chiral NMR discriminating agents

The compound (+)-(18-crown-6)-2,3,11,12-tetracarboxylic acid (I) and its ytterbium(III) complex are evaluated as chiral NMR discriminating agents. The crown ether is a useful chiral discriminating agent for protonated amino acid esters, amines, and amino alcohols. The crown can also be used with neutral primary amines since amines are protonated through a neutralization reaction with a carboxylic acid moiety of the crown. Enantiodiscrimination with the crown is observed in methanol and acetonitrile. Addition of ytterbium(III) nitrate to crown-substrate mixtures causes upfield shifts in the NMR spectrum of the substrate and often enhances the enantiomeric discrimination. Evidence indicates that the ytterbium(III) bonds to the carboxylic acid moieties of the crown, but enhancements in enantiomeric discrimination result from either the different association constants of the enantiomers with the crown or diastereomeric nature of the resulting crown-substrate complexes. The ytterbium complex with the crown is suitable for use in methanol but precipitates in acetonitrile.     

Development of novel brush-type chiral stationary phases based on terpenoid selectors: HPLC evaluation and theoretical investigation of enantioselective binding interactions

The terpenoid chiral selectors dehydroabietic acid, 12,14-dinitrodehydroabietic acid and friedelin have been covalently linked to silica gel yielding three chiral stationary phases CSP 1, CSP 2 and CSP 3, respectively. The enantiodiscriminating capability of each one of these phases was evaluated by HPLC with four families of chiral aromatic compounds composed of alcohols, amines, phenylalanine and tryptophan amino acid derivatives and β-lactams. The CSP 3 phase, containing a selector with a large friedelane backbone is particularly suitable for resolving free alcohols and their derivatives bearing fluorine substituents, while CSP 2 with a dehydroabietic architecture is the only phase that efficiently discriminates 1,1′-binaphthol atropisomers. CSP 3 also gives efficient resolution of the free amines. All three phases resolve well the racemates of N-trifluoracetyl and N-3,5-dinitrobenzoyl phenylalanine amino acid ester derivatives. Good enantioseparation of β-lactams and N-benzoyl tryptophan amino acid derivatives was achieved on CSP 1.In order to understand the structural factors that govern the chiral molecular recognition ability of these phases, molecular dynamics simulations were carried out in the gas phase with binary diastereomeric complexes formed by the selectors of CSP 1 and CSP 2 and several amino acid derivatives. Decomposition of molecular mechanics energies shows that van der Waals interactions dominate the formation of the diastereomeric transient complexes while the electrostatic binding interactions are primarily responsible for the enantioselective binding of the (R)- and (S)-analytes. Analysis of the hydrogen bonds shows that electrostatic interactions are mainly associated with the formation of N–H⋯OC enantioselective hydrogen bonds between the amide binding sites from the selectors and the carbonyl groups of the analytes. The role of mobile phase polarity, a mixture of n-hexane and propan-2-ol in different ratios, was also evaluated through molecular dynamics simulations in explicit solvent.