Enantiomer assays of amino acid derivatives using tertiary amine appended trans-4-hydroxyproline derivatives as chiral selectors in the gas phase

A pair of pseudo-enantiomers, tertiary amine appended trans-4-hydroxyproline derivatives were designed, synthesized, and evaluated as chiral selectors for enantiomer analysis of DNB-amino acid and their amides, in single-stage electrospray ionization/mass spectrometric experiments. The chiral selectors were designed to remove the interaction of the hydroxyl group of trans-4-hydroxyproline as well as separate the ionization site from the sites required for effective chiral recognition. Addition of a chiral analyte to a solution containing two pseudo-enantiomeric chiral selectors, affords selector–analyte complexes in the electrospray ionization mass spectrum where the ratio of these complexes is dependent on the enantiomeric composition of the analyte. The relationship between the ratio of the selector–analyte complexes in the electrospray ionization mass spectrum and the enantiomeric composition of the analyte can be used to relate the extent of the measured enantioselectivity and for quantitative enantiomeric composition determinations. Effects of acid modifiers (ammonium chloride, acetic acid, formic acid and hydrochloric acid) and instrument conditions on the selector–analyte ion intensity and the enantioselectivity (αMS) were investigated. The largest αMS was observed using ammonium chloride at a concentration around 0.5–1 mM at desolvation temperature of 150 °C. Capillary voltage has little effects on αMS values. The sense of chiral recognition by MS is consistent with what is observed chromatographically. Quantitative enantiomeric composition determinations for N-(3,5-dinitrobenzoyl) leucinyl butylamide were performed. A comparison to the enantioselectivities towards a scope of analytes observed by chiral HPLC using a 3,5-dimethylanilide-proline-derived chiral stationary phase, is presented.