Quantitative fingerprinting of O-linked glycans released from proteins using isotopic coded labeling with deuterated 1-phenyl-3-methyl-5-pyrazolone

Investigation of oligosaccharides attached to proteins as post-translational modification remains an important research field in the area of glycoproteomics as well as in biotechnology. The development of new tools for qualitative and quantitative analysis of glycans has gained high importance in recent years. This is particularly true with O-glycans for which quantitative data are still underrepresented in literature. This fact is probably due to the absence of an enzyme for general release of O-linked saccharides from glycoproteins and due to their low ionization yield in mass spectrometry (MS). In this paper, a method is established aimed at improved qualitative and quantitative analysis of mucin-type O-glycans. A chemical reaction combining release and derivatization of O-glycans in one step is combined here with mass spectrometric quantification. For the purpose of improved quantitative analysis, stable-isotope coded labeling by d0/d5 1-phenyl-3-methyl-5-pyrazolidone (PMP) was performed. The "heavy"-version of this label, penta-deutero (d5)-PMP, was synthesized for this purpose. Beneath improving the reproducibility of quantitation, PMP derivatization contributed to an enhancement of ionization yields in MS. By introducing an internal standard (e.g. GlcNAc3) the reproducibility for quantification can be improved. For higher abundant O-glycans a mean coefficient of variation (CV) less than 6% could be attained, for very low abundant CV values between 15 and 20%. For the determination of O-glycan profiles in mixtures, a HPLC separation was combined with a high resolution Qq-oaTOF instrument. RP-type stationary phases were successful in separating glycan species including some of isomeric ones. This separation step was particularly useful for removing of salts avoiding so the presence of various sodium clusters in the MS spectrum.

Chromatographic Enantiomer Separation Using 9-Amino-9-(deoxy)-epiquinine-derived Chiral Selectors: Control of Chiral Recognition via Introduction of Additional Stereogenic Centers

Three new cinchona-type chiral selectors have been prepared by attaching N-pivaloyl-glycine, N-pivaloyl-(S)-valine and N-pivaloyl-(R)-valine segments to the C9-amino function of 9-amino-9-(deoxy)-epiquinine (eAQN), and immobilized to silica to provide the corresponding chiral stationary phases (CSPs). Evaluation of the chromatographic enantioseparation characteristics of these CSPs with a broad assortment of N-carbamoyl protected amino acids under polar organic mobile phase conditions revealed modest chiral recognition capabilities for N-Fmoc-, N-Cbz- and N-Boc-derivatives. It was found that the enantioselective analyte binding to these CSPs is strictly controlled by the absolute stereo-chemistry of the amino acid functionalities attached to the C9-amino group of the eAQN framework. Specifically, the CSP derived from (S)-valine-based selector exhibits preferential binding of N-carbamoyl-(S)-amino acids, while the CSPs featuring (R)-valine- and the glycine-derived selectors show opposite enantioselective binding preference. The observed impact of analyte structure on enantioselectivity and the specific preferences in enantioselective binding point to chiral recognition mechanisms capitalizing on intermolecular ion pairing, hydrogen bonding and subtle steric interactions, with the latter making the crucial contributions to stereodiscrimination. The finding that the chiral recognition characteristics of epiquinine can be readily controlled via incorporation of additional stereogenic centers remote from the cinchona scaffold might be useful information for the design of new enantioselective receptors and organocatalysts.

Investigation of monovalent and bivalent enantioselective molecular recognition by electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry and tandem mass spectrometry

In this work is described the investigation of bivalent versus monovalent enantioselective molecular recognition in the context of enantioselective separations. Electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) and tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) are used for evaluating enantioselective systems through the measurement of (1) relative solution-phase binding constants via titration and (2) relative gas-phase binding via collision threshold dissociation. In HPLC, a cinchonane-type chiral stationary phase (CSP) based on tert.-butylcarbamoylquinine provides vastly increased retention and enantioselectivity for separation of bivalent versus monovalent alkoxy-benzoyl-N-blocked leucine enantiomers. The bivalent enantiomers are able to span and simultaneously interact with multiple interaction sites on the CSP surface, leading to enhanced separation. ESI-MS titration measurements also show an increased avidity for binding between bivalent selector and bivalent selectand, compared with the monovalent system. However, enhanced enantioselectivities measured in HPLC for the bivalent system cannot be reproduced by MS due to inherent mechanistic differences. Assumed discrepancies in relative response factors also give rise to systematic errors which are discussed. The results of MS/MS gas-phase experiments show that enantioselectivity is essentially lost in the absence of solvation, but that dissociation thresholds can provide a measure of relative dissociation energy in the bivalent interaction system compared to the monovalent counterpart. Such measurements may prove useful and efficient in better understanding multivalent interactions, in line with current theoretical considerations of effective concentrations and ion trap effects. This is the first application of mass spectrometric methods for assessing increased avidity of binding in multivalent enantioselective molecular recognition.

An improved synthesis of 10,11-didehydroCinchona alkaloids

A revised procedure for the conversion of the four major Cinchona alkaloids (quinine, quinidine, cinchonidine, and cinchonine) into their respective 10,11-didehydro derivatives is described. The reported protocol offers several advantages over a recently published synthetic route. These include (i) enhanced robustness (ii) ready scalability (iii) reduced operational complexity and number of steps (iv) chromatography-free work-up. In addition, toxic solvents were replaced by environmentally less problematic alternatives.

Chiral recognition applications of molecularly imprinted polymers: a critical review

Molecular imprinting technology offers the unique opportunity to tailor chiral stationary phases with predefined chiral recognition properties by employing the enantiomers of interest as binding-site-forming templates. Added advantages, such as ease of preparation, chemical robustness, low-cost production, and the possibility of shaping molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) in various self-supporting formats, render them attractive materials for a broad range of chiral recognition applications. In this review a critical overview on recent developments in the field of MIP-based chiral recognition applications is given, focusing on separation techniques and molecular sensing. Inherent limitations associated with the use of enantioselective MIP materials in high-performance separation techniques are outlined, including binding site heterogeneity and slow mass transfer characteristics. The prospects of MIP materials as versatile recognition elements for the design of enantioselective sensor systems are highlighted.

Chiral recognition mass spectrometry: remarkable effects observed from the relative ion abundances of ternary diastereomeric complexes using electrospray ionization

The relative abundances of ternary diastereomeric complexes (composed each from a cinchonane-type chiral selector, a model chiral acid, and an alkali cation) are shown to change remarkably and fortuitously with variation in concentration and type of alkali metal using electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry and competitive binding analysis.

Silica-based monolithic columns with mixed-mode reversed-phase/weak anion-exchange selectivity principle for high-performance liquid chromatography

This article describes the synthesis, chromatographic characterization, and performance evaluation of analytical (100 x 4.6 mm id) and semipreparative (100 x 10 mm id) monolithic silica columns with mixed-mode RP/weak anion-exchange (RP/WAX) surface modification. The monolithic RP/WAX columns were obtained by immobilization of N-(10-undecenoyl)-3-aminoquinuclidine onto thiol-modified monolithic silica columns (Chromolith) by a radical addition reaction. Their chromatographic characterization by Engelhardt and Tanaka tests revealed slightly lower hydrophobic selectivities than C-8 phases, as well as higher polarity and also improved shape selectivity than RP-18e silica rods. The surface modification enabled separation by both RP and anion-exchange chromatography principles, and thus showed complementary selectivities to the RP-18e monoliths. The mixed-mode monoliths have been tested for the separation of peptides and turned out to be particularly useful for hydrophilic acidic peptides, which are usually insufficiently retained on RP-18e monolithic columns. Compared to a corresponding particulate RP/WAX column (5 microm, 10 nm pore diameter), the analytical RP/WAX monolith caused lower system pressure drops and showed, as expected, higher efficiency (e.g. by a factor of about 2.5 lower C-term for a tetrapeptide). The upscaling from the analytical to semipreparative column dimension was also successful.

Deuterium isotope effects observed during competitive binding chiral recognition electrospray ionization--mass spectrometry of cinchona alkaloid-based systems

Deuterium isotope effects are reported for binding between tert-butylcarbamoyl-quinine/quinidine chiral selectors and isotopomeric quasienantiomers of N-(3,5-dinitrobenzoyl)leucine measured using electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) and competitive binding. Evaluation of mixtures of each selector with one labeled and one unlabeled enantiomeric selectand of identical configuration showed a significant difference in measured ion abundances of diastereomeric complexes between the selector and each selectand. It was found that in some cases, the complex containing the nondeuterated selectand was 15% more abundant than its deuterated counterpart. On the basis of an assessment of solution- and gas-phase isotope effects reported in the literature, a series of control experiments were performed to study the origin of the effects. On the basis of these measurements, our preliminary conclusion is that the differing gas-phase physicochemical nature of the deuterated versus nondeuterated selectand represents the strongest contribution to the observed effect in this chiral molecular recognition system.

Analyte Templating: Enhancing the Enantioselectivity of Chiral Selectors upon Incorporation into Organic Polymer Environments

A simple strategy for preserving and enhancing the chiral recognition capacity of polymer-embedded chiral selectors is proposed, capitalizing on a temporary blockage of the receptor binding site with tightly binding analytes during the polymerization process. We demonstrate that the copolymerization of a quinine tert-butylcarbamate selector monomer with chiral (and achiral) 3,5-dichlorobenzoyl amino acids allows one to control to a certain extent the binding characteristics of the resultant polymeric chiral stationary phases. The structural and stereochemical requirements of the templating analytes for maximizing the chiral recognition capacity of the polymer-embedded selectors are probed. The chromatographic chiral recognition characteristics of the analyte-templated polymeric chiral stationary phases are analyzed with respect to binding capacities and affinities and compared to those obtained with a conventional silica-based surface-grafted reference material. Changes in substrate-specific enantioselectivity originating from analyte templating are also addressed.

Measurement of Solution-Phase Chiral Molecular Recognition in the Gas Phase Using Electrospray Ionization-Mass Spectrometry

Development of chiral selectors (SOs) is important both for understanding chiral molecular recognition processes and for their use in the separation of chiral species (selectands). Their evaluation by chromatographic procedures (e.g., as chiral stationary phase) can, however, be time-consuming. In this respect, electrospray ionization-MS (ESI-MS) is tested here as a possible alternative for screening enantioselective binding by SOs. The set of well-characterized cinchona alkaloid SOs are investigated with respect to their enantioselective binding to a set of model enantiomers, dinitrobenzoyl-(R)- and dinitrobenzoyl-(S)-leucine. MS-based enantioselectivity values from normalized gas-phase ion abundances for the diastereomeric complexes are compared empirically to chromatographic (HPLC) enantioselectivity results and shown to be consistent. Investigations into the fundamentals of measuring unbiased enantioselectivity values in the limit of dilute solution by correlation between experimental and modeled theoretical data are shown. Titration experiments are used to extract binding constants and are compared with published calorimetric (ITC) data. Results show that while the magnitude of binding affinities determined for various diastereomeric complexes is attenuated, the relative ranking and stereochemical preference in binding are consistently reproduced. This work represents a fundamental study of solution- versus gas-phase correlation for enantioselective systems by ESI-MS and indicates that, although not all questions and assumptions can be clearly engaged, for these enthalpically driven binding systems, the relative degree of binding affinity and selectivity is preserved.

Enantiomer separation of a powerful chiral auxiliary, 2-methoxy-2-(1-naphthyl)propionic acid by liquid chromatography using chiral anion exchanger-type stationary phases in polar-organic mode; investigation of molecular recognition aspects

The enantiodiscriminating potential of the weak anion exchange-type quinine-based chiral stationary phases (CSPs) for direct enantiomer separation of racemic 2-methoxy-2-(1-naphthyl)propionic acid (selectand, SA) was studied. The influence of structure variations of the selector (SO) in the carbamate functional group and/or in the C6' position of quinoline moiety on retention and enantioselectivity was investigated. Systematic chromatographic studies were made to gain more insight into the overall chiral recognition mechanism for a given mobile phase. In this context, the tert-butylcarbamoyl quinine and the corresponding diisopropylphenyl-derived selector provided the highest resolution and enantioselectivity under polar-organic conditions with the elution order of (R) before the (S) enantiomer. When the bulkiness of the substituents in the C6' position of the SO was increased, the selectivity was decreased in all cases. Alkylation of the nitrogen atom in the carbamate functionality of the SO resulted in the complete loss of enantiomer separation, confirming the crucial importance of the hydrogen-bond formation involved in the stereodiscriminating events. In addition, ten different mono-, bi-, or trivalent acids, necessary as competitor molecules (counter-ions) of the mobile phase, were screened to judge their influence on retention and overall enantioselectivity. Among them, acetic acid, formic acid, N-acetylglycine, and glycolic acid proved to be the most promising counter-ions with R(S) values of 6.35, 6.81, 8.19, and 7.34, respectively. On the basis of chromatographic data, a tentative molecular recognition model was proposed. Simultaneous ion-pairing and hydrogen bonding, in concert with pi-pi stacking and steric interactions, were expected to be responsible for chiral recognition mechanism. This was partially corroborated by structural and/or conformational analysis of the tert-butylcarbamoyl quinine-2-methoxy-2-(1-naphthyl)propionic acid (SO-SA) complex.

Novel urea-linked cinchona-calixarene hybrid-type receptors for efficient chromatographic enantiomer separation of carbamate-protected cyclic amino acids

Two novel diastereomeric cinchona-calixarene hybrid-type receptors (SOs) were synthesized by inter-linking 9-amino(9-deoxy)-quinine (AQN)/9-amino(9-deoxy)-epiquinine (eAQN) and a calix[4]arene scaffold via an urea functional unit. Silica-supported chiral stationary phases (CSPs) derived from these SOs revealed, for N-protected amino acids, complementary chiral recognition profiles in terms of elution order and substrate specificity. The AQN-derived CSP showed narrow-scoped enantioselectivity for open-chained amino acids bearing pi-acidic aromatic protecting groups, preferentially binding the (S)-enantiomers. In contrast, the eAQN congener exhibited broad chiral recognition capacity for open-chained as well as cyclic amino acids, and preferential binding of the (R)-enantiomers. Exceedingly strong retention due to nonenantioselective hydrophobic analyte-calixarene interactions observed with hydro-organic mobile phases could be largely suppressed with organic mobile phases containing small amounts of acetic acid as acidic modifier. With the eAQN-calixarene hybrid-type CSP particularly high levels of enantioselectivity could be achieved for tert-butoxycarbonyl (Boc)-, benzyloxycarbonyl (Z)- and fluorenylmethoxycarbonyl (Fmoc)-protected cyclic amino acids using chloroform as mobile phase, e.g. an enantioselectivty factor alpha >5.0 for Boc-proline. Increasing amounts of acetic acid compromised enantioselectivity, indicating the crucial contributions of hydrogen bonding to chiral recognition. Comparison of the performance characteristics of the urea-linked eAQN-calixarene hybrid-type CSP with those of structurally closely related mutants provided evidence for the active involvement of the urea and calixarene units in the chiral recognition process. The urea linker motif was shown to contribute to analyte binding via multiple hydrogen bonding interactions, while the calixarene module is believed to support stereodiscrimination by enhancing the shape complementarity of the SO binding site.

Preparative Enantiomer Separation of Dichlorprop with a Cinchona-Derived Chiral Selector Employing Centrifugal Partition Chromatography and High-Performance Liquid Chromatography: A Comparative Study

A countercurrent chromatography protocol for support-free preparative enantiomer separation of the herbicidal agent 2-(2,4-dichlorphenoxy)propionic acid (dichlorprop) was developed utilizing a purposefully designed, highly enantioselective chiral stationary-phase additive (CSPA) derived from bis-1,4-(dihydroquinidinyl)phthalazine. Guided by liquid-liquid extraction experiments, a solvent system consisting of 10 mM CSPA in methyl tert-butyl ether and 100 mM sodium phosphate buffer (pH 8.0) was identified as a suitable stationary/mobile-phase combination. This solvent system provided an ideal compromise among stationary-phase retention, enantioselectivity, and well-balanced analyte distribution behavior. Using a commercial centrifugal partition chromatography instrument, complete enantiomer separations of up to 366 mg of racemic dichlorprop could be achieved, corresponding to a sample load being equivalent to the molar amount of CSPA employed. Comparison of the preparative performance characteristics of the CPC protocol with that of a HPLC separation using a silica-supported bis-1,4-(dihydroquinidinyl)phthalazine chiral stationary phase CSP revealed comparable loading capacities for both techniques but a significantly lower solvent consumption for CPC. With respect to productivity, HPLC was found to be superior, mainly due to inherent flow rate restrictions of the CPC instrument. Given that further progress in instrumental design and engineering of dedicated, highly enantioselective CSPAs can be achieved, CPC may offer a viable alternative to CSP-based HPLC for preparative-scale enantiomer separation.

Investigations on the chromatographic behavior of hybrid reversed-phase materials containing electron donor–acceptor systems

The chromatographic behavior of three naphthalimide-type stationary phases were elucidated in terms of hydrophobic, silanophilic and pi-pi interaction properties, employing besides common chromatographic column test methods from Engelhardt and Tanaka, also new test mixtures of geometrical and functional aromatic isomers. It was found that the presence of electron donor/acceptor moieties within a reversed phase system did not only increase the overall retention times for aromatic solutes, but also lead to an enhanced shape selectivity of the hybrid stationary phase. In this context, shape discrimination is primarily based on the number of accessible pi-electrons for pi-pi interaction with the embedded electron deficient ligand moieties. The most outstanding results were obtained for the 1,4,5,8-naphthalenediimidic selector with its horizontal arrangement on the silica surface, which enables a direct face-to-face pi-pi interaction with aromatic solutes, with only little hydrophobic contribution.

Enantiomer discrimination by mass spectrometry: noncovalent interactions of an N-derivatized dipeptide with various cinchona alkaloid derivatives and comparison with enantioselective liquid-phase separations

The enantiomer discrimination properties of cinchona alkaloid derived chiral selectors (CSs) towards a dipeptide analyte are examined by electrospray ionization mass spectrometry. The complexes formed between the CSs and the analyte enantiomers owing to various noncovalent interactions are analyzed and the magnitudes of enantiomer discrimination are determined from the complexes' mass spectrometric intensities. The influence of different structural features of the CSs on enantioselectivity is discussed. The enantiomer discrimination results obtained by mass spectrometry are compared with those from related liquid chromatography enantiomer separations. A certain coherence between the chromatographic and mass spectrometric enantioselectivities could be established and the enantiomer discrimination patterns, i.e., the relative binding strengths, were identical for the two techniques. Thus, the use of mass spectrometry as a screening tool in the development of new CSs for chromatographic applications seems feasible.

Liquid chromatographic–mass spectrometric separation of oligoalanine peptide stereoisomers: influence of absolute configuration on enantioselectivity and two-dimensional separation of diastereomers and enantiomers

This contribution describes the chromatographic separation of peptide stereoisomers. Thereby, one focus is laid on the influence of the absolute configurations of peptide enantiomer pairs on their enantioselective separation. Three different N-terminal protecting groups and three different chiral stationary phases (CSPs) based on cinchona alkaloid derivatives were employed and oligoalanine di-, tri- and tetra-peptides were used as model set. The absolute configurations of the individual enantiomeric pairs were found to profoundly influence both the elution order and the enantioselectivity. The stereoselective molecular recognition mechanism was observed to be dependent on the combination of configuration and the chosen protecting group and CSP. As the CSPs on their own exhibited insufficient diastereoselectivity, a two-dimensional liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) system was developed for the separation of both diastereomers and enantiomers of peptides in the second part of this study. Diastereomers were separated by reversed phase (RP) and the resulting enantiomeric pair fractions were transferred to a CSP for enantioseparation. All eight stereoisomers of a tripeptide (Ala-Ala-Ala) and 9 out of 10 stereoisomers of a tetrapeptide (Ala-Ala-Ala-Ala) could be successfully resolved.

Molecularly imprinted polymer-assisted sample clean-up of ochratoxin A from red wine: merits and limitations

A new analytical method for the determination of the carcinogenic mycotoxin ochratoxin A (OTA) in red wines has been developed involving a two-dimensional solid-phase extraction (SPE) clean-up protocol on C18-silica and a target-selective molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP). Prior removal of the interfering acidic matrix compounds by C18 solid-phase extraction was crucial for a successful clean-up as direct sample loading onto the MIP led to poor recoveries. The combined solid-phase extraction protocol afforded extracts suitable for sensitive ochratoxin A quantification by HPLC-fluorescence detection. Preliminary validation of the method performance with spiked (0.033-1.0 ng OTA/ml) and commercial red wines provided recoveries >90% and < 10%, with limit of detection (LOD) and limit of quantification (LOQ) of 0.01 and 0.033 ng/ml. However, a similarly favorable performance characteristics was observed in control experiments in which the MIP was replaced by the corresponding non-imprinted polymer (NIP). These findings provide evidence that under the employed experimental conditions specific analyte binding to imprinted binding sites plays a minor role in selective OTA retention. In the framework of this study, other problems inherent to MIP-based solid-phase extraction have been addressed. These include the reproducible preparation of MIP materials with consistent molecular recognition characteristics, the potential for repeated use of MIP, unfavorable polymer swelling in application-relevant solvents, potential sample contamination by template bleeding, and slow analyte binding kinetics.

Characterization of a Chiral Stationary Phase by HR/MAS NMR Spectroscopy and Investigation of Enantioselective Interaction with Chiral Ligates by Transferred NOE

The surface chemistry of a chiral stationary phase (CSP) with a (tert-butyl carbamoyl) quinine selector immobilized on thiol-modified silica has been characterized by (1)H HR/MAS NMR and (29)Si CP/MAS NMR spectroscopy. The mostly well-resolved (1)H signals could be assigned to stem from the surface-bound selector and the latter suggested a bi- and trifunctional silane linkage. Suspended-state NMR spectroscopy thus proved a well-characterized surface chemistry as proposed. To study chiral recognition phenomena in the presence of the CSP, (1)H HR/MAS 2D transfer NOESY investigations in methanol-d(4) have been undertaken with various solutes including N-3,5-dinitrobenzoyl derivatives of leucine (DNB-Leu) and N-acetyl phenylalanine (Ac-Phe). Both (R)- and (S)-enantiomers of DNB-Leu and Ac-Phe interacted with the tBuCQN-CSP as indicated by negative cross-peaks in the trNOESY spectra, while the 2D NOESY of the dissolved solutes in absence of the chiral stationary phase showed positive cross-peaks. The intensities of the trNOE cross-peaks were much stronger for the (S)-enantiomers. This stereoselectivity paralleled the experimental chromatographic behavior, where the (S)-enantiomers revealed stronger binding and retention on the tBuCQN-CSP as well. Hence, we were able to correlate the retention behavior to the trNOE NMR spectroscopic data in a qualitative manner.

Novel cinchona carbamate selectors with complementary enantioseparation characteristics for N-acylated amino acids

The synthesis and chromatographic evaluation of the enantiomer separation capabilities of covalently immobilized calix[4]arene-cinchona carbamate hybrid type receptors derived from quinine (QN) and its corresponding C9-epimer (eQN) in different solvents are reported. The receptors display complementary enantiomer separation profiles in terms of elution order, chiral substrate specificity, and mobile phase characteristics, indicating the existence of two distinct chiral recognition mechanisms. The QN-derived receptor binds the (S)-enantiomers of N-acylated amino acids more strongly, shows preferential recognition of open-chained amino acids, and superior enantioselectivity in polar media such as methanol/acetic acid. In contrast, the eQN congener preferentially recognizes the corresponding (R)-enantiomers, displays good enantioselectivity (alpha up to 1.74) for cyclic amino acids, and enhanced stereodiscriminating properties in apolar mobile phases, e.g., chloroform/acetic acid. A comparison of the enantiomer separation profiles with those of the corresponding QN and eQN tert-butyl carbamate congeners indicates no significant level of cooperativity between the calix[4]arene module and the cinchona units in terms of overall chiral recognition, most probably as a consequence of residual conformational flexibility of the calixarene module and the carbamate linkage.

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.

Direct high-performance liquid chromatographic separation of peptide enantiomers: study on chiral recognition by systematic evaluation of the influence of structural features of the chiral selectors on enantioselectivity

All-R/all-S enantiomers of oligoalanines (Ala(n), n = 1-10) with N-terminal protection group have been separated by HPLC on chiral stationary phases based on various cinchona alkaloid selectors. Structure-enantioselectivity relationships derived by extensive selector structure optimization provided insights into binding mechanisms and chiral recognition. Their interpretation was supported by X-ray crystal structures of amino acid and dipeptide, respectively, in complex with chiral selector. Optimized selectors have bulky elements representing steric barriers and deep binding pockets that afforded very high enantioselectivities; e.g., for the all-R and all-S enantiomers of N-(3,5-dinitrobenzoyl)alanylalanine, an alpha-value of 20.0 (corresponding to deltadeltaG of -7.43 kJ/mol) was obtained with a chiral stationary phase based on 6'-(neopentoxy)-9-O-tert-butylcarbamoylcinchonidine. Further, a chiral stationary phase based on 1,4-bis(9-O-quinidinyl)phthalazine was able to distinguish between the all-R and all-S enantiomers of hepta- to decaalanine peptides with enantioselectivity values between 1.8 and 1.9, corresponding to deltadeltaG of -1.46 and -1.59 kJ/mol, respectively.

Enantiomer separation by countercurrent chromatography using cinchona alkaloid derivatives as chiral selectors

Cinchona-derived anion-exchange-type chiral selectors have been adapted and employed in countercurrent chromatography (CCC) for the separation of enantiomers of N-derivatized amino acids and 2-aryloxypropionic acids. The accurate optimization of the enantioseparation in terms of solvent system composition, pH values, ionic strength, and CCC operating conditions was performed. A wide range of solvent mixtures was evaluated. Successful resolutions were achieved in systems such as ammonium acetate buffer/tert-amyl alcohol/methanol/heptane and especially ammonium acetate buffer/methyl isobutyl ketone or diisopropyl ether. Up to 300 mg (0.92 mmol) of N-(3,5-dinitrobenzoyl)-(+/-)-leucine was totally resolved in a single run using a 10 mM concentration of chiral selector in 122 mL of stationary phase. This amount could be increased up to 900 mg (2.77 mmol) when pH-zone-refining mode was applied. The results here presented account for the high potential of CCC as a preparative enantiomer separation technique.

Elucidation of the chiral recognition mechanism of cinchona alkaloid carbamate-type receptors for 3,5-dinitrobenzoyl amino acids

A cinchona alkaloid having extraordinary chiral discriminatory powers (alpha = 32.6 for dinitrobenzoyl leucine) is developed as a chiral stationary phase (CSP) for chromatography. An explanation of how chiral discrimination takes place is presented. Using a soluble analogue of the CSP, we found that NMR spectrometry indicates that 1:1 complexes exist for both optical isomers interacting with the CSP, that the free base form of the CSP exists in an open/closed ratio of 35/65 but that the protonated, bound-state form is exclusively in the anti-open conformation, and that significant intermolecular NOEs exist for the more stable diastereomeric complex but not for the less stable complex. Stochastic molecular dynamics simulations were carried out in solvents of low and high dielectric. The chromatographic retention orders and free energy differences of analyte binding to CSP were reproduced computationally as were the observed intra- and intermolecular NOEs. Data from the simulation were used to evaluate the intermolecular forces responsible for analyte binding as well as to discern fragments of the CSP doing most of the work of holding the complexes together. The enantiodifferentiating forces and the parts of the CSP most responsible for chiral discrimination are described. Moments of distributions of key dihedral angles and distances between centroids were used to assess the relative rigidity of the competing diastereomeric complexes. Simultaneous multiple-contact ion-pairing, hydrogen bonding, and pi-stacking are possible for the longer retained enantiomer only. An X-ray crystallographic study of the more stable complex confirms the conclusions derived from chromatography, NMR spectroscopy, and molecular modeling.

Enantioseparation of various amino acid derivatives on a quinine based chiral anion-exchange selector at variable temperature conditions. Influence of structural parameters of the analytes on the apparent retention and enantioseparation characteristics

The influence of temperature on the performance of an enantioselective anion-exchange type chiral selector (SO) was systematically investigated. The resolution of the enantiomers of 23 N-acylated amino acids (selectands, SAs) on a covalently immobilized quinine tert.-butylcarbamate chiral stationary phase (CSP) was studied under linear chromatographic conditions over a temperature range of 0-85 degrees C with hydro-organic buffers (pHa 6.0) as mobile phases. The apparent enantioseparation factors increased considerably at low column temperatures, indicating that enthalpic contributions are the dominating thermodynamic driving force for chiral recognition for all investigated SAs. Retention factors gave non-linear van't Hoff plots, while the corresponding apparent enantioseparation factors showed linear van't Hoff behavior. Correlations between magnitude and sign of the relative thermodynamic parameters of enantioselective adsorption (deltadeltaG, deltadeltaH and deltadeltaS) and specific structural features of the analytes, i.e., steric and electronic nature of the various side chains and the N-acyl groups, are discussed with the aim to rationalize their possible contributions to the overall chiral recognition.

Towards ochratoxin A selective molecularly imprinted polymers for solid-phase extraction

Molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) displaying selective binding properties for the mycotoxin ochratoxin A (OTA) in polar/protic media were prepared. Crucial to the success of these efforts was the implementation of rationally designed OTA mimics as templates and a set of novel basic and neutral functional monomers, allowing the maximization of the template-functional monomer association via ion-pairing, hydrophobic and steric interactions. MIPs prepared with a 20:1:1:3 molar ratio of cross-linking agent, template mimic, basic functional monomer and hydrophobic auxiliary monomer produced polymers with superior recognition properties compared to materials generated with other stoichiometries. Chromatographic evaluation using the OTA mimics, OTA and a set of structurally closely related compounds as analytes revealed pronounced substrate selectivity of these MIPs in polar/protic media, the templates and OTA being bound with significantly higher affinities. Complementary substrate selectivities/affinities were observed in aprotic and apolar solvents. The possibility of solvent-dependent tuning of substrate selectivity/affinity and the high binding capacity recommend the developed MIPs as promising solid-phase extraction adsorbents for clean-up and pre-concentration of OTA from various biologically relevant matrices.

Separation of enantiomers: needs, challenges, perspectives

Chiral drugs, agrochemicals, food additives and fragrances represent classes of compounds with high economic and scientific potential. First the present implications of their chiral nature and necessity of separating enantiomers are summarised in this article. In the following a brief overview of the actual approaches to perform enantioseparations at analytical and preparative scale is given. Challenging aspects of these strategies, such as problems associated with data management, choice of suitable chiral selectors for given enantioseparations and enhanced understanding of the underlying chiral recognition principles, are discussed. Alternatives capable of meeting the requirements of industrial processes, in terms of productivity, cost-effectiveness and environmental issues (e.g., enantioselective membranes) are critically reviewed. The impact of combinatorial methodologies on faster and more effective development and optimisation of novel chiral selectors is outlined. Finally, the merits and limitations of most recent trends in discrimination of enantiomers, including advances in the fields of sensors, microanalysis systems, chiroptical methods and chemical force microscopy are evaluated.

Enantioselective anion exchangers based on cinchona alkaloid-derived carbamates: influence of C8/C9 stereochemistry on chiral recognition

Four diastereomeric chiral stationary phases (CSPs) based on quinine, quinidine, epiquinine, and epiquinidine tert-butyl carbamate selectors were synthesized and evaluated under ion exchange HPLC conditions with a set of racemic N-acylated and N-oxycarbonylated alpha-amino acids as selectands. The enantioseparation potential of quinine- and quinidine-derived CSPs proved to be far superior to that of their C9-epimeric congeners. The absolute configuration of C9 stereogenic center of the cinchonan backbone of these selectors was identified as the structural feature controlling the elution order. Guided by an X-ray structure of a most favorable selector-selectand complex and the observed chromatographic enantioseparation data, a chiral recognition model was advanced. The contributions of ion-pairing, pi-pi donor-acceptor, hydrogen bonding and steric interactions were established as crucial factors.

Diphenylethanediamine (DPEDA) as chiral selector: VII. Efficient HPLC resolution of a series of underivatized diarylcarbinols on a chiral stationary phase based on C5-amide-bonded N-3,5-dinitrobenzyl-DPEDA

Fast and efficient baseline separation of asymmetrically substituted diarylmethanols and 1,1-diarylethanols was achieved on an endcapped, amide-linked N-3,5-dinitrobenzoylated, (R,R)-1,2-diphenyl-1,2-ethanediamine-derived chiral stationary phase (CSP). Optimal enantioselectivities on this CSP were obtained using 1% 2-propanol in n-heptane as the mobile phase. Enantiorecognition was found to be governed by pi-basicity and the substitution pattern of the aromatic substituents.