Evidence of Enantiomers of Spiroglycol. Distinction by Using α,α'-Bis(trifluoromethyl)-9,10-anthracenedimethanol as a Chiral Solvating Agent and by Derivatization with Chiral Acids.

Herein, we perform for the first time a preliminary NMR and computational study of the spiroglycol structure. Spiroglycol is a highly symmetrical molecule, but it should be chiral due to the presence of a chiral axis. The presence of two enantiomers was demonstrated performing NMR enantiodifferentiation experiments using α,α'-bis(trifluoromethyl)-9,10-anthracenedimethanol (ABTE) as a chiral solvating agent (CSA). The addition of 0.6 equiv of ABTE allows the differentiation of several spiroglycol proton signals. The lack of resolution observed in the proton spectrum can be tackled through the corresponding 13C NMR spectrum where a significant enantiodifferentiation at the spirocarbon atom was observed. In order to physically separate both enantiomers, a SPG derivatization with camphorsulfonic acid and Mosher's acid was performed affording the corresponding diastereoisomeric ester mixtures. Computations performed with the Gaussian16 package showed that the enantiodifferentiation is mainly due to the different compound thermodynamics stability.

A vibrational circular dichroism (VCD) methodology for the measurement of enantiomeric excess in chiral compounds in the solid phase and for the complementary use of NMR and VCD techniques in solution: the camphor case.

For the first time, the success of a methodology for the determination of enantiomeric excess (% ee) in chiral solid samples by vibrational circular dichroism (VCD) spectroscopy is reported. We have used camphor to determine the % ee in a blind sample constituted by a mixture of its two enantiomers as a test for the validity of our approach. IR and VCD spectra of different enantiomeric mixtures of R/S-camphor in Nujol mulls were recorded and linear regressions of VCD intensities (ΔAbs.) vs. % ee for selected bands were found. Finally, the VCD intensities of a blind sample were interpolated in these linear regressions, obtaining its % ee with a rms of 2.4. These results in the solid phase were complemented with the determination of % ee in the liquid phase by VCD and NMR techniques, which are proved to be complementary techniques to carry out this kind of analysis. In the same way as in the VCD solid phase, linear regressions of ΔAbs. vs. % ee for selected bands were established, obtaining a rms of 1.1 in the % ee determination of a blind sample. 1H NMR experiments at 600 MHz using the chiral solvating agent, (S,S)-ABTE, allow the determination of the proportions of enantiomers in CD2Cl2 solution with great accuracy. 13C CPMAS NMR spectra prove that this technique cannot be used for conglomerates and/or solid solutions.

Chiral Recognition by Dissolution DNP NMR Spectroscopy of 13C-Labeled dl-Methionine.

A method based on d-DNP NMR spectroscopy to study chiral recognition is described for the first time. The enantiodifferentiation of a racemic metabolite in a millimolar aqueous solution using a chiral solvating agent was performed. Hyperpolarized 13C-labeled dl-methionine enantiomers were differently observed with a single-scan 13C NMR experiment, while the chiral auxiliary at thermal equilibrium remained unobserved. The method developed entails a step forward in the chiral recognition of small molecules by NMR spectroscopy, opening new possibilities in situations where the sensitivity is limited, for example, when a low concentration of analyte is available or when the measurement of an insensitive nucleus, like 13C, is required. The advantages and current limitations of the method, as well as future perspectives, are discussed.

Real-time assessment of ¹³C metabolism reveals an early lactate increase in the brain of rats with acute liver failure.

Intracranial hypertension is a severe complication of acute liver failure (ALF) secondary to brain edema. The pathogenesis of cerebral edema in ALF is not clear, but seems to be related to energy metabolism in which lactate may have an important role. The aim of this study was to follow the synthesis of brain lactate using a novel in vivo metabolic technology in a rat model of ALF. Time-resolved (13) C MRS of hyperpolarized (13) C1 -pyruvate was used to quantitatively follow the in vivo conversion of pyruvate to its substrates in a model of devascularized ALF in rats. Rats with ALF showed a significant increase in the lactate to pyruvate ratio from 36% to 69% during the progression of liver disease relative to rats with portocaval anastomosis. Rats with ALF also showed a significant increase in the alanine to pyruvate ratio from 72% to 95%. These increases were detectable at very early stages (6 h) when animals had no evident disease signs in their behavior (without loss of righting or corneal reflexes). This study shows the dynamic consequences of cerebral in vivo (13) C metabolism at real time in rats with ALF. The early detection of the de novo synthesis of lactate suggests that brain lactate is involved in the physiopathology of ALF. Hyperpolarization is a potential non-invasive technique to follow the in vivo metabolism, and both the development and optimization of (13) C-labeled substrates can clarify the mechanism involved in ALF.

Enantiodifferentiation through frequency-selective pure-shift (1)H nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy.

A frequency-selective 1D (1) H nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) experiment for the fast and sensitive determination of chemical-shift differences between overlapped resonances is proposed. The resulting fully homodecoupled (1) H NMR resonances appear as resolved 1D singlets without their typical J(HH) coupling constant multiplet structures. The high signal dispersion that is achieved is then exploited in enantiodiscrimination studies by using chiral solvating agents.

13C NMR spectroscopy for the differentiation of enantiomers using chiral solvating agents.

The utility of (13)C NMR spectroscopy for the differentiation of enantiomers using chiral solvating agents (CSA) is stated. Three examples involving the enantiodifferentiation of a drug, a metabolite and a reactant in aqueous and organic solutions have been chosen to show it. The intrinsic high dispersion of (13)C nucleus, as well as the singlet nature of the signals in standard experiments makes (13)C NMR experiments a powerful alternative or complement to (1)H NMR experiments; specially, when studying pure compounds with complex proton spectra or mixtures of compounds, as in chiral metabonomics, where severe overlapping exists in proton spectrum. To evaluate and compare the quality of the enantioresolution of a NMR signal we introduce the enantiodifferentiation quotient, E, that considers the complexity of (1)H multiplets (and in general the width) of the original signal. It has been observed that the error in the measurement of the enantiomeric molar ratio can be related to the E value. The sensitivity and experimental time of a wide range of chiral analyte concentrations were also assessed.

Simultaneous (1)H and (13)C NMR enantiodifferentiation from highly-resolved pure shift HSQC spectra.

NMR enantiodifferentiation studies are greatly improved by the simultaneous determination of (1)H and (13)C chemical shift differences through the analysis of highly resolved cross-peaks in spectral aliased pure shift (SAPS) HSQC spectra.