Second-Generation Tris(2-pyridylmethyl)amine–Zinc Complexes as Probes for Enantiomeric Excess Determination of Amino Acids

Self-assembly through imine condensation chemistry in combination with metal coordination is becoming one of the leading strategies for the preparation of stereodynamic probes for the determination of enantiomeric excess. Recently, we reported a novel molecular architecture based on a modified tris(2-pyridylmethyl)amine–zinc(II) complex [TPMA = tris(2-pyridylmethyl)amine] that is able to function as an optical probe for the determination of the enantiomeric excess of amino acids. Herein, we report on how a slight modification of the TPMA ligand enhances both the dichroic response and the stability of the system. The novel probe provides a much higher dichroic signal compared with the previously reported system.