Spectroscopic characterisation of metallo-cyclodextrins for potential chiral separation of amino acids and L/D-DOPA

The derivatives 6-Deoxy-6-[1-(2-amino)ethylamino]-β-Cyclodextrin (CDEn), 6-Deoxy-6-[1-(3-amino)propylamino]-β-Cyclodextrin (CDPn) and 6-Deoxy-6-[1-(4-amino)butylamino]-β-Cyclodextrin (CDBn) were assessed with a view to demonstrating that increasing the chain length of the diaminoalkane moiety can affect the chiral selectivity of the metallo-complexes of these materials. It was shown that IR and Raman spectroscopies can be used to characterise these compounds. The results obtained from the electronic absorption spectra suggested the formation of CuCDAm binary complexes and that the derivatives CDEn and CDPn act as bidentate ligands while CDBn acts as a monodentate ligand due to its longer alkane chain. This study also showed that in the ternary complexes with DOPA there is further coordination of the metal ion to the amino nitrogen atom and the hydroxyl oxygen atom of the drug. On the basis of the results of the circular dichroic spectroscopic studies it was suggested that CuCDEn is the better enantioselective material for DOPA and it acts in a multi-site recognition manner, utilising the inclusion properties of the CD cavity in cooperation with the coordination properties of the metal ion.