Chiral recognition in NMR spectroscopy using crown ethers and their ytterbium(III) complexes.

Chiral crown ethers 1 and 5 are useful enantiomeric discriminating agents in 1H NMR spectroscopy for neutral and protonated primary amines, amino acids, and amino alcohols. The presence of the carboxylic acid groups in 1 and 5 provide sites at which ytterbium(III) can bind. Adding ytterbium(III) nitrate to crown-substrate mixtures in methanol-d4 causes shifts in the spectra of substrates and often enhances the chiral discrimination in the 1H NMR spectrum.