Enantiomeric H and C NMR signal separation behaviors of various α-amino acids and DL-tartarate were investigated by using the samarium(III) and neodymium(III) complexes with (S,S)-ethylenediamine-N,N'-disuccinate as chiral shift reagents. A relatively smaller concentration ratio of the lanthanide(III) complex to substrates was suitable for the neodymium(III) complex compared with the samarium(III) one, striking a balance between relatively greater signal separation and broadening. To clarify the difference in the signal separation behavior, the chemical shifts of β-protons for fully bound D- and L-alanine (δ (D) and δ (L)) and their adduct formation constants (Ks) were obtained for both metal complexes. Preference for D-alanine was similarly observed for both complexes, while it was revealed that the difference between the δ (D) and δ (L) values is the significant factor to determine the enantiomeric signal separation. The neodymium(III) and samarium(III) complexes can be used complementarily for higher and smaller concentration ranges of substrates, respectively, because the neodymium(III) complex gives the larger difference between the δ (D) and δ (L) values with greater signal broadening compared to the samarium(III) complex.

Readily available L-tartaric acid, which is a bidentate ligand with two chiral centers forming a seven-membered chelate ring, was applied to the chiral ligand for the chiral nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) shift reagent of samarium(III) formed in situ. This simple method does not cause serious signal broadening in the high magnetic field. Enantiomeric (13)C and (1)H NMR signals and enantiotopic (1)H NMR signals of α-amino acids were successfully resolved at pH 8.0 and the 1:3 molar ratio of Sm(NO3)3:L-tartaric acid. It is elucidated that the enantiomeric signal resolution is attributed to the anisotropic magnetic environment for the enantiomers induced by the chiral L-tartarato samarium(III) complex rather than differences in stability of the diastereomeric substrate adducts. The present (13)C NMR signal resolution was also effective for the practical simultaneous analysis of plural kinds of DL-amino acids.