Chiral ligand-exchange resolution of underivatized amino acids on a dynamically modified stationary phase for RP-HPTLC.

The synthesis of Spi(τ-dec), derived from the selective alkylation of L-spinacine (4,5,6,7-tetrahydro-1H-imidazo[4,5-c]pyridine-6-carboxylic acid) at the τ-nitrogen of its heteroaromatic ring, with a linear hydrocarbon chain of 10 carbon atoms, is described here for the first time. Spi(τ-dec) was successfully employed in the past to prepare home-made chiral columns for chiral ligand-exchange high-performance liquid chromatography. In the present article a new method is described, using Spi(τ-dec) as a chiral selector in high-performance thin-layer chromatography (HPTLC): commercial hydrophobic plates were first coated with Spi(τ-dec) and then treated with copper sulfate.