Chiral Discrimination of Acyclic Secondary Amines by ¹⁹F NMR

Chiral aliphatic amine compounds exhibit a range of physiological activities, making them highly sought-after in the pharmaceutical industry and biological research. One notable obstacle in studying these compounds stems from the pronounced steric hindrance surrounding the nitrogen atom. This characteristic often leads to a weak affinity of acyclic secondary amines for molecular probes, making their chiral discrimination intricate. In response to this challenge, our research has unveiled a novel ¹⁹F-labeled probe adept at recognizing and distinguishing between enantiomers of these acyclic secondary amines. By strategically incorporating a single fluorine atom as the ¹⁹F label, we have managed to diminish the steric hindrance at the binding site. This alteration bolsters the probe’s affinity toward bulkier analytes. As a testament to its effectiveness, we have successfully employed our probe in the chiral analysis of relevant pharmaceuticals, accurately determining their enantiocomposition.