Determination of the absolute structure of the chiral crystal consisting of achiral dibutylhydroxytoluene and asymmetric autocatalysis triggered by this chiral crystal

July 28, 2017

Title

Determination of the absolute structure of the chiral crystal consisting of achiral dibutylhydroxytoluene and asymmetric autocatalysis triggered by this chiral crystal

Author

Arimasa Matsumoto, Sora Takeda, Shunya Harada, Kenso Soai

Year

2016

Journal

Tetrahedron: Asymmetry

Abstract

Absolute structure is determined of chiral crystal composed of achiral dibutylhydroxytoluene (BHT, 2,6-di-tert-butyl-p-cresol) by single crystal X-ray diffraction and circular dichroism. Left-handed (M-) crystals exhibited a positive Cotton effect at a wavelength of approximately 288 nm observed using KBr disk [CD(+)288KBr]. In contrast, right-handed (P-) crystals exhibited a negative Cotton effect at the same wavelength [CD(−)288KBr]. Asymmetric autocatalysis is triggered by the chiral crystals of achiral BHT,i.e., M-(+)-BHT afforded (S)-pyrimidyl alkanol and P-(−)-BHT afforded (R)-pyrimidyl alkanol.

Instrument

J-820

Keywords

Circular dichroism, Absolute configuration, Pharmaceutical, Biochemistry