(Correspondent: Cheng Ran) Recently, a research paper titled "Rapid enantioselective fluorescence recognition and chiral separation of free amino acids" was published in the internationally renowned journal Nature Communications. Professor Zhu Yuanyuan from our institute serves as a co-corresponding author, with Wuhan Institute of Technology listed as the first affiliation. This research achieves rapid enantioselective recognition of amino acids in aqueous phase on a hundred-second timescale, as well as minute-level chiral separation of single-configuration amino acids from racemic mixtures, providing an efficient and highly applicable method for chiral recognition and separation. This work holds significant importance in fields such as life sciences, food science, chemical industry, and pharmaceutical analysis.
Enantioselective recognition and chiral separation of free amino acids are of critical importance in fields such as life sciences, food science, chemical industry, and pharmaceutical analysis. Although traditional chiral separation techniques (e.g., chiral chromatography) are available, they often involve cumbersome analytical procedures and are difficult to apply for real-time or in situ detection. Fluorescence sensing technology offers a promising alternative for chiral recognition due to its advantages of high sensitivity, rapid response, and operational simplicity. However, developing fluorescent probes capable of simultaneously achieving rapid enantioselective recognition and chiral separation of free amino acids in water remains a highly challenging research endeavor.
To address the above challenges, the research team introduced a morpholinium quaternary ammonium cation into the molecular framework of 1,1'-bi-2-naphthol, designing and synthesizing a chiral fluorescent probe. This probe successfully enabled rapid chiral recognition of amino acid enantiomers in aqueous solution, as well as efficient minute-scale chiral separation of single amino acid enantiomers from racemic mixtures. When interacting with 17 pairs of free amino acid enantiomers, the probe achieved rapid chiral discrimination within 100 seconds, accompanied by significant changes in luminescence color or intensity. The study revealed that the chiral recognition mechanism involves imine formation and electrostatic interactions, along with an aggregation-induced emission effect. These processes collectively facilitated the selective aggregation and precipitation between the probe and specific amino acid enantiomers. Using the method developed by the team, target enantiomers could be efficiently separated from D-/L-amino acid mixtures through simple filtration, achieving optical purity exceeding 99% with a visible separation process. The team further validated the effectiveness of the probe in chiral separation by combining fluorescence visualization with comparative chiral high-performance liquid chromatography analysis. This research provides a simple and rapid new method for the precise detection and separation of amino acid enantiomers, holding significant scientific importance and application value.
Nature Communications is an internationally leading multidisciplinary scientific journal published by Springer Nature. It is dedicated to publishing high-quality research across the fields of biology, chemistry, physics, materials, earth and environmental sciences, medicine, and engineering. Its latest impact factor is 15.7.
In recent years, under the overall planning and leadership of the university's Party Committee, our university has accelerated the cultivation of key scientific research achievements. Through the implementation of a "bidding for leading roles" system for major landmark achievements in first-class disciplines, the introduction of corresponding incentive policies, and the formulation of classified and graded lists of research outcomes along with a tiered academic journal catalog, a series of measures have effectively promoted the continuous production of high-level research results. The School of Chemistry and Environmental Engineering places great emphasis on original research. This research was completed collaboratively by our school, the School of Chemical Engineering and Pharmacy, and the School of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering at East China University of Science and Technology, demonstrating the powerful synergy of interdisciplinary and cross-institutional collaborative innovation.
(Reviewed by Zhang Zongliang, Yu Junxia)
Original link: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-025-68144-y
