10.1039/c4ob01960a
The research focuses on the determination of the absolute configuration of phosphinic analogues of glutamate, specifically LSP1-2111, which are known to be potent agonists of metabotropic glutamate (mGlu) receptors and have shown promising in vivo activity. The study aimed to separate the mixture of two diastereomers of LSP1-2111, whose absolute and relative configurations were previously unknown, using a Crownpack CR(+) column. The absolute configuration was assessed through a diastereoselective synthesis involving various reactants such as phosphinic acid, 3-nitrobenzaldehydes, and amino acids. The experiments included radical processes, condensation, acid hydrolysis, and the use of chiral HPLC for separation. The analysis involved optical rotation, 1H NMR, 31P NMR, and X-ray crystallography to characterize the diastereomers and determine their absolute configuration. The study also investigated the biological activity of the separated L-stereomers, finding that they activated the mGlu4 receptor with varying EC50 values.