S-Mg2(dobpdc): a metal–organic framework for determining chirality in amino acids

Abstract

Chirality is a key aspect of amino acids and is essential for life. Here, a chiral metal–organic framework, S-Mg₂dobpdc, is used to determine the chirality of three BOC protected amino acids (alanine, valine and proline) by ¹³C solid-state NMR with chemical shift differences of up to 1.3 ppm observed between enantiomers. The chiral sensitivity persists upon in situ deprotection of the amino acids by thermolysis of the BOC group.