Comparison of the separation efficiencies of Chirobiotic T and TAG columns in the separation of unusual amino acids

Two macrocyclic antibiotic type chiral stationary phases (CSPs), based on native teicoplanin and teicoplanin aglycone, Chirobiotic T and Chirobiotic TAG, respectively, were evaluated for the high-performance liquid chromatographic separation of enantiomers of 15 unnatural conformationally constrained α-amino acids, Phe and Tyr analogs, and 12 β-amino acids having cycloalkane or cycloalkene skeletons. The chromatographic results are given as the retention, separation and resolution factors along with the enantioselective free energy difference corresponding to the separation of the enantiomers. It is clearly established that in most cases the aglycone is responsible for the enantioseparation of amino acids. The difference in enantioselective free energy between the aglycone CSP and the teicoplanin CSP was between 0.02 and 0.30 kcal mol−1 for these particular amino acids. The resolution factors are higher with the aglycone CSP. Although the sugar units generally decrease the resolution of amino acid enantiomers, they can contribute significantly to the resolution of some unusual amino acid analogs. By application of these two CSPs excellent resolutions were achieved for most of the investigated compounds by using reversed phase or polar organic mobile mode systems. The separation conditions were optimized by variation of the mobile phase composition.