IMM researchers find few method for determination of D- and L-α-amino acids in complex mixtures

Enantioresolution is important for pharmaceutical, chemical and food industries. However, enantiomer separation involves complex analytical techniques as well as specialized equipment and expert personnel. In this respect, discrimination and quantification of D- and L-α-amino acids is no exception, generally requiring extensive sample manipulation, including isolation, functionalization, and chiral separation. This complex sample treatment results in high time costs and potential biases in the quantitative determination.

Researchers from the Institute for Molecules and Materials (IMM) of Radboud University have presented a method for determination and quantification of D- and L-α-amino acids in complex mixtures down to submicromolar concentrations, with virtually no sample pretreatment. This approach is based on the combination of non-hydrogenative parahydrogen-induced hyperpolarization and nuclear magnetic resonance. The results have recently been published in the JACS publication entitled ‘NMR Discrimination of D- and L-α-Amino Acids at Submicromolar Concentration via Parahydrogen-Induced Hyperpolarization’.

This paper results from a collaborative project of dr. Marco Tessari (Magnetic Resonance Research Center) and prof. Floris Rutjes (Synthetic Organic Chemistry).“By combining chemistry and NMR methodology, we can now detect and quantify substances that are normally well below NMR detection limits in complex mixtures. A great outcome of our fruitful collaboration!”, Tessari says.

Magnetic Resonance Research Center

The Magnetic Resonance Research Center (MMRC) is a research facility and operates as part of the national ROADMAP NMR infrastructure u-NMR-NL. The facility, led by prof. Kentgens is part of IMM and focuses on the development of novel methods to optimize the sensitivity and information content of NMR spectra and apply these methodologies to gain deeper insight in the structure and dynamics of molecules and materials. Applications are particularly geared at unravelling complex mixtures in the liquid state, whereas in the solid state, phase composition, chemical structure, conformation and dynamics in relation to the functional behavior of energy materials (batteries and solar cells), catalysts and polymers are investigated.

Synthetic Organic Chemistry

The Synthetic Organic Chemistry group, led by prof. Rutjes, is part of the IMM and designs and synthesises biologically relevant small molecules and develops new sustainable synthesis methods. This fundamentally orientated group actively seeks collaborations with business and industry. He contributes to several chemical science communities that support the exchange of (scientific) developments and ideas for application and innovation.

Publication

NMR Discrimination of D- and L-α-Amino Acids at Submicromolar Concentration via Parahydrogen-Induced Hyperpolarization
Lennart Dreisewerd, Ruud L. E. G. Aspers, Martin C. Feiters, Floris P. J. T. Rutjes, Marco Tessari 
J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2023
NMR Discrimination of D- and L-α-Amino Acids at Submicromolar Concentration via Parahydrogen-Induced Hyperpolarization | Journal of the American Chemical Society (acs.org)

More information?

For more information, please contact
Marco Tessari: m.tessari@science.ru.nl
IMM Communications: imm-communication@ru.nl