Gas-phase enantioselectivity of chiral amido[4]resorcinarene receptors

Chemistry. 2006 Oct 25;12(31):8096-105. doi: 10.1002/chem.200600102.

Abstract

Diastereomeric proton-bound [1(L)HA]+ complexes between selected amino acids (A=phenylglycine (Phg), tryptophan (Trp), tyrosine methyl ester (TyrOMe), threonine (Thr), and allothreonine (AThr)) and a chiral amido[4]resorcinarene receptor (1(L)) display a significant enantioselectivity when undergoing loss of the amino acid guest A by way of the enantiomers of 2-aminobutanes (B) in the gas phase. The enantioselectivity of the B-to-A displacement is ascribed to a combination of thermodynamic and kinetic factors related to the structure and the stability of the diastereomeric [1(L)HA]+ complexes and of the reaction transition states. The results of the present and previous studies allow classification of the [1(L)HA]+ complexes in three main categories wherein: i) guest A does not present any additional functionalities besides the amino acid one (alanine (Ala), Phg, and phenylalanine (Phe)); ii) guest A presents an additional alcohol function (serine (Ser), Thr, and AThr); and iii) guest A contains several additional functionalities on its aromatic ring (tyrosine (Tyr), TyrOMe, Trp, and 3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine (DOPA)). Each category exhibits a specific enantioselectivity depending upon the predominant [1(L)HA]+ structures and the orientation of the 2-aminobutane reactant in the relevant adducts observed. The results may contribute to the understanding of the exceptional selectivity and catalytic properties of enzyme mimics towards unsolvated biomolecules.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Amino Acids / chemistry*
  • Calixarenes / chemistry
  • Dihydroxyphenylalanine / chemistry
  • Gases / chemistry
  • Hydrocarbons / chemistry*
  • Kinetics
  • Resorcinols / chemistry*
  • Spectrometry, Mass, Electrospray Ionization
  • Stereoisomerism

Substances

  • Amino Acids
  • Gases
  • Hydrocarbons
  • Resorcinols
  • resorcin(4)arene receptor
  • Calixarenes
  • Dihydroxyphenylalanine