“Chiral Recognition by Dissolution DNP NMR Spectroscopy of ¹³C-Labeled DL-Methionine” By Eva Monteagudo^, Albert Virgili, Teodor Parella and Míriam Pérez-Trujillo^.. Anal. Chem., 2017, 89 (9), pp 4939–4944 DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.7b00156

A method based on d-DNP NMR spectroscopy to study chiral recognition is described for the first time. The enantiodifferentiation of a racemic metabolite in a millimolar aqueous solution using a chiral solvating agent was performed. Hyperpolarized ¹³C-labeled DL-methionine enantiomers were differently observed with a single-scan ¹³C NMR experiment, while the chiral auxiliary at thermal equilibrium remained unobserved. The method developed entails a step forward in the chiral recognition of small molecules by NMR spectroscopy, opening new possibilities in situations where the sensitivity is limited, for example, when a low concentration of analyte is available or when the measurement of an insensitive nucleus, like ¹³C, is required. The advantages and current limitations of the method, as well as future perspectives, are discussed.