A fluorescent chiral molecular micelle (FCMM), poly (sodium N-undecanoyl-L-phenylalaninate) (poly-L-SUF), was developed as a chiral selector for enantiomeric recognition and determination of enantiomeric composition of four fluorescent and four nonfluorescent chiral molecules by use of steady-state fluorescence spectroscopy. The influence of FCMM concentration, buffer pH and complexation medium on FCMM-analyte host-guest complexation, and the emission spectral properties of the resulting complexes were investigated. The chiral interactions of the analytes,1,1'-binaphthyl-2,2'-diamine, 1-(9-anthryl)-2,2,2-trifluoroethanol, propranolol, naproxen, chloromethyl menthyl ether (CME), citramalic acid, tartaric acid, and limonene (LIM), in the presence of poly-L-SUF were based on diastereomeric complex formation. The figures of merit obtained from the partial-least-squares regression modeling of the calibration samples suggested good prediction ability for the validation of six of the eight chiral analytes. Better host-guest complexation of the more hydrophobic molecules, CME and LIM, were obtained in methanol/water mixtures, resulting in better predictability of the regression models. Prediction ability of the models was evaluated by use of the root-mean-square percent relative error (RMS%RE) and was found to range from 1.77 to 15.80% (buffer), 1.26 to 7.95% (25:75 methanol/water), and 1.21 to 4.28% (75:25 methanol/water).

Steady-state fluorescence spectroscopy was employed to investigate the use of chiral polymeric surfactants as chiral selectors in chiral analysis by multivariate regression modeling of spectral data. Partial-least-squares regression modeling (PLS-1) was used to correlate changes in the fluorescence spectral data of 1,1'-bi-2-naphthol (BOH), 1,1'-binaphthyl-2,2'-diamine (BNA), or 2,2,2-trifluoroanthrylethanol (TFA) in the presence of poly(sodium N-undecanoyl-L-leucylvalinate), poly(sodium N-undecanoyl-L-leucinate) or poly(sodium N-undecanoyl-L-valinate) as the enantiomeric composition of the chiral analytes was varied. The regression models produced from the spectral data were validated by determining the enantiomeric composition of independently prepared test solutions. The ability of the model to correctly predict the enantiomeric composition of future samples was evaluated using the root-mean-square percent-relative error (RMS%RE) of prediction. In terms of RMS%RE, the ability of the model to accurately predict the enantiomeric composition of future samples was dependent on the chiral analyte, the polymeric surfactant used, and the surfactant medium, and ranged between 1.57 and 6.10%. Chiral analyte concentrations as low as 5 x 10(-6) M were found to give regression models with good predictability.

Novel fluorescent chiral molecular micelles (FCMMs) were synthesized, characterized, and employed as chiral selectors for enantiomeric recognition of non-fluorescent chiral molecules using steady state fluorescence spectroscopy. The sensitivity of the fluorescence technique allowed for investigation of low concentrations of chiral selector (3.0×10 −5 M) and analyte (5.0×10 −6 M) to be used in these studies. The chiral interactions of glucose, tartaric acid, and serine in the presence of, and poly(sodium N-undecanoyl-L-phenylalininate) [poly-SUF] were based on diastereomeric complex formation. Poly-L-SUW had a significant fluorescence emission spectral difference as compared to poly-L-SUY and poly-L-SUF for the enantiomeric recognition of glucose, tartaric acid, and serine. Studies with the hydrophobic molecule α-pinene suggested that poly-L-SUY and poly-L-SUF had better chiral discrimination ability for hydrophobic analytes as compared to hydrophilic analytes. Partial-least-squares regression modeling (PLS-1) was used to correlate changes in the fluorescence emission spectra of poly-L-SUW due to varying enantiomeric compositions of glucose, tartaric acid, and serine for a set of calibration samples. Validation of the calibration regression models was determined by use of a set of independently prepared samples of the same concentration of chiral selector and analyte with varying enantiomeric composition. Prediction ability was evaluated by use of the root-mean-square percent relative error (RMS%RE) and was found to range from 2.04 to 4.06%.

A novel method of modifying sodium undecanoyl-L-leucinate (SUL) micelles employed in chiral separation of analytes in micellar electrokinetic chromatography (MEKC) to enhance selectivity toward specific analytes is discussed. The current study aimed at modifying the SUL micelles by introducing different alcohols into the mono-SUL micelles. The micellar solutions were then polymerized in the presence of alcohols followed by postpolymerization extraction of the alcohols to yield alcohol-free polymeric surfactants (poly-L-SUL). The effects of hexanol (C(6)OH) and undecylenyl alcohol (C(11)OH) on micellar properties of this surfactant were investigated by use of surface tensiometry, fluorescence spectroscopy, pulsed field gradient-nuclear magnetic resonance (PFG-NMR), and MEKC. The surface tension and PFG-NMR studies indicated an increase in the critical micelle concentration (cmc) and micellar size upon increasing the alcohol concentration. Fluorescence measurements suggested that alcohols induce closely packed micellar structures. Coumarinic and benzoin derivatives, as well as (+/-)-1, 1'-binaphthyl-2,2'-dihydrogen phosphate (BNP) were used as test analytes for MEKC experiments. Examination of MEKC data showed remarkable resolutions and capacity factors of coumarinic derivatives obtained with modified poly-L-SUL as compared to the unmodified poly-L-SUL. Evaluation of fluorescence, PFG-NMR, and MEKC data suggest a strong correlation between the polarity and hydrodynamic radii of alcohol-modified micelles and the resolution of the test analytes.

The optimization of separation parameters in chromatography for better separation and resolution of analytes continues to be a labor intensive procedure usually performed by a trial and error method. A multivariate analysis in the form of multilinear regression (MLR) is used to optimize separation parameters and predict the migration behavior, resolution, and resolution per unit time of achiral (4-chlorophenol, pentachlorophenol, clonazepam, and diazepam) and chiral (1,1'-binaphthyl 2,2'-dihydrogen phosphate (BNP), and 1,1'-bi-2-naphthol (BOH)) compounds in MEKC. Separations of achiral and chiral analytes were performed using an achiral (poly(sodium N-undecylenic sulfate)) molecular micelle and chiral (poly(sodium N-undecanoyl-L-leucylvalinate) or poly(sodium N-undecanoyl-L-isoleucylvalinate)) molecular micelle, respectively, at various operating temperatures, applied voltages, pH values, and molecular micelle concentrations in the BGE. The separation parameters were subsequently used as input variables for MLR models. The models were validated with independent samples. The root-mean-square percent relative error (RMS%RE) is used as a figure of merit for characterizing the performance of the migration time, resolution, and resolution per unit time models. The RMS%RE obtained for predicted migrated times, resolutions, and resolution per unit time of 4-chlorophenol, pentachlorophenol, clonazepam, diazepam, BNP, and BOH ranged between 8 and 19%. The same experimental procedure was used to optimize the separation parameters of six other chiral analytes of different compound class. The predicted migration times, resolutions, and resolution per unit time of the chiral as well as the achiral analytes compare favorably with the experimental migration times and resolutions, indicating versatility and wide applicability of the technique in MEKC.