Efficient enantiorecognition of ruthenium (II) complexes by silica-bound teicoplanin

A series of chiral tris-diimine ruthenium(II) complexes have been resolved by HPLC on a chiral stationary phase. The stationary phase (CSP1) was prepared by covalent attachment of the glycopeptide antibiotic teicoplanin to isocyanate activated silica gel. CSP1 selectively retains the enantiomers of [Ru(L)3]2+ (L=2,2′-bypyridine (bpy), 1,10-phenanthroline and 4,7-diphenyl-1,10-phenanthroline), with a preference for the Δ isomer. For the mixed-ligand complexes [Ru(bpy)2pztr]+ and [Ru(bpy)2pytr]+ (Hpztr=3-(pyrazin-2-yl)-1,2,4-triazole, Hpytr=3-(pyridin-2-yl)-1,2,4-triazole), where the triazole unit is bound to the metal centre either through the N2 or the N4 nitrogen of the ring, CSP1 discriminates both the enantiomers and the regioisomers. Diastereo- and enantioselective association was also observed between CSP1 and the stereoisomers of the dinuclear complex ((Ru(bpy)2)2bpt]3+ (Hbpt=3,5-bis(pyridin-2-yl)-1,2,4-triazole), with differences in binding affinities of 1.4 kJ/mol between the homochiral enantiomers.