HPLC Separation of the Diastereomeric Glutathione Adducts of Styrene Oxide

Abstract

The four diastereomeric thioether adducts resulting from the addition of glutathione to racemic styrene oxide were separated on a Radial Pak C₁₈ column using pH 7 Tris-phosphate buffer solution containing methanol as eluent. The benzylic thioether (1) eluted earlier than the benzylic alcohol (2) regioisomers. A complete stereochemical profile was established with the first eluting stereoisomer assigned as (S,R)-1, followed by (R,R)-1, (S,R)-2, and (R,R)-2,. The diastereomers with S configuration at the benzylic carbon emerged first for each set of regioisomers. The use of glutathione as a chiral probe for the analysis of enantiomerically enriched epoxides was illustrated with β-methylstyrene oxide formed from (1R, 2S)-N,N-dimethylephedrium bromide during the course of a chiral phase-transfer synthesis of oxiranes.