Requirements in structure for chiral recognition of chitosan derivatives

In order to investigate the influence of a minor variation in structure of N -acyl chitosan derivatives on enantioseparation, chiral selectors (CSs) of chitosan 3,6-bis(phenylcarbamate)-2-(phenylacetamide)s and chitosan 3,6-bis(phenylcarbamate)-2-(cyclohexylacetamide)s were synthesized. The corresponding chiral stationary phases ( N -PhAc CSPs and N -cHeAc CSPs) were also prepared, respectively, with the two series of CSs. Enantioseparation results revealed that the N -PhAc CSPs were better than the N -cHeAc ones in enantioseparation. Thus, benzyl group (Bn) at C 2 should be more preferable to enantioseparation than cyclohexylmethyl (cyclohexyl–CH 2 –) at the same position. Because N -PhAc CSPs exhibited higher enantioseparation capability than chitosan 3,6-bis(phenylcarbamate)-2-(benzamide) based CSPs ( N -Bz CSPs), the Bn should also be more beneficial to enantioseparation than phenyl group (Ph) at C 2 in N -Bz CSPs. In addition, it was found that, the cyclohexyl group at C 2 in chitosan 3,6-bis(phenylcarbamate)-2-(cyclohexylformamide) CSPs was better than cyclohexyl–CH 2 – in N -cHeAc CSPs to enantioseparation. In a word, a minor variation at C 2 of chitosan derivatives significantly affected enantioseparation. After the prepared CSPs were stood for six months, their enantioseparation capabilities were changed obviously, and the changes were probably related to nature, position and number of a substituent on Ph connected to carbamates at C 3 and C 6 of the CSs.