Investigation of Chiral Molecular Micelles by NMR Spectroscopy and Molecular Dynamics Simulation

NMR spectroscopy and Molecular Dynamics (MD) simulation analyses of the chiral molecular micelles poly-(Sodium Undecyl-(L,L)-Leucine-Valine) (poly-SULV) and poly-(Sodium Undecyl-(L,L)-Valine-Leucine) (poly-(SUVL)) are reported. Both molecular micelles are used as chiral selectors in electrokinetic chromatography and each consists of covalently linked surfactant chains with chiral dipeptide headgroups. To provide experimental support for the structures from MD simulations, NOESY spectra were used to identify protons in close spatial proximity. Results from the NOESY analyses were then compared to radial distribution functions from MD simulations. In addition, the hydrodynamic radii of both molecular micelles were calculated from NMR-derived diffusion coefficients. Corresponding radii from the MD simulations were found to be in agreement with these experimental results. NMR diffusion experiments were also used to measure association constants for polar and non-polar binaphthyl analytes binding to both molecular micelles. Poly (SUVL) was found to bind the non-polar analyte enantiomers more strongly, while the more polar analyte enantiomers interacted more strongly with poly(SULV). MD simulations in turn showed that poly(SULV) had a more open structure that gave greater access for water molecules to the dipeptide headgroup region.