Application of (1S,2S)- and (1R,2R)-1,3-diacetoxy-1-(4-nitrophenyl)-2-propylisothiocyanate to the indirect enantioseparation of racemic proteinogenic amino acids

The application of (1S,2S)- or (1R,2R)-1,3-diacetoxy-1-(4-nitrophenyl)-2-propylisothiocyanate as a new chiral derivatizing agent for the resolution of compounds possessing an amino group is described. The reagent is easily accessible in both enantiomeric forms after a simple two-step synthesis. Its applicability was demonstrated on the example of the resolution of a series of α-amino acids. The diastereomeric thiourea derivatives produced were separated by reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography. The effects of pH, temperature and reagent excess on the derivatization kinetics were investigated, as were the effects of pH and organic modifier on the separation.