Temperature and Solute Molecular Size Effects on the Retention and Enantioselectivity of a Series of D, L Dansyl Amino Acids on a Vancomycin-Based Chiral Stationary Phase

Abstract

The influence of column temperature (0–28 °C) and solute molecular size on the retention and enantioselectivity of a series of D, L dansyl amino acids with a non-polar side chain (valine, leucine, phenylalanine and tryptophan) were investigated using a vancomycin-based chiral stationary phase (CSP). The enthalpic and entropic terms for the solute-CSP association were determined from the linear van’t Hoff plots. Two solute groups were distinguished in relation to these thermodynamic quantities: the solute group I (dansyl valine, dansyl leucine, dansyl phenylalanine) for which large negative values of enthalpic terms were obtained and the solute group II (dansyl tryptophan) for which ΔH value was much less negative. The enthalpy-entropy compensation study revealed that the interaction mechanism was identical for the group I solute enantiomers but changed for D, L dansyl tryptophan. This was further exemplified as the group I compound enantiomers were resolved over the temperature range while the enantiomers of dansyl tryptophan were not separated in the operating conditions. Relationships between both the solute retention factors and apparent enantioselectivity, and the accessible surface area of the amino acid side chain indicated that when the solute molecular size increased (i) the retention was enhanced by the hydrophobic effect and (ii) the chiral discrimination decreased dependent, at least in part, on a steric hindrance phenomenon at the vancomycin aglycone pocket.