An Explanation about the Use of (S)-Citronellal as a Chiral Derivatizing Agent (CDA) in 1H and 13C NMR for Sec-Butylamine, Methylbenzylamine, and Amphetamine: A Theoretical-Experimental Study

A chiral derivatizing agent (CDA) with the aldehyde function has been widely used in discriminating chiral amines because of the easy formation of imines under mild conditions. There is a preference for the use of cyclic aldehydes as a CDA since their lower conformational flexibility favors the differentiation of the diastereoisomeric derivatives. In this study, the imines obtained from the reaction between (S)-citronellal and the chiral amines (sec-butylamine, methylbenzylamine, and amphetamine) were analyzed by the nuclear Overhauser effect (NOE). Through NOE, it was possible to observe that the ends of the molecules were close, suggesting a quasi-folded conformation. This conformation was confirmed by theoretical calculations that indicated the London forces and the molecular orbitals as main justifications for this conformation. This conformational locking explains the good separation of 13C NMR signals between the diastereomeric imines obtained and, consequently, a good determination of the enantiomeric excess using the open chain (S)-citronellal as a CDA.