Enantioselective hydrolysis of amino acid esters by non-chiral copper complexes equipped with bis (β-cyclodextrin)s

Two non-chiral copper(II) complexes equipped with bis(β-cyclodextrin)s (bisCDs) were explored as hydrolase models for the enantioselective hydrolysis of two pairs of alkyl chain-possessing amino acid ester enantiomers. The two bisCD complexes are pyridine-linked with different CD cavity orientations, denoted as CuL1 (L1 = 2,6-bis(6-mono-amino-β-cyclodextrin-methyl)-pyridine) and CuL2 (L2 = 2,6-bis(3-mono-amino-β-cyclodextrin-methyl)-pyridine). Kinetic studies indicated that the “back-to-back” bisCD complex CuL1 showed higher catalytic efficiency and more pronounced enantioselectivity for all substrates than the “face-to-face” bisCD complex CuL2. Overall preference of l -isomers was observed for both complexes. In the presence of CuL1, the formation of catalyst-substrate Michaelis complexes during the hydrolysis was demonstrated by saturation kinetic study and Electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI–MS) analysis. Enantiomer selectivity (vmaxL/vmaxD) value for N-Boc-N'-Boc-Lysine 4-nitrophenyl esters (Boc-Lys(Boc)-ONp), the longer alkyl-chain analogs, is twice of that for N-Boc-Alanine 4-nitrophenyl esters (Boc-Ala-ONp). The enantioselective hydrolysis of Boc-Lys(Boc)-ONp promoted by CuL1 was confirmed by chiral high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis. The participation of CD cavities during enantioselective hydrolysis was investigated through inhibition assay. The enantioselectivity in hydrolyzing different amino acid esters promoted by CuL1 was compared. The mechanism involved in the cooperation of two adjacent CD cavities of bisCD was proposed.