Thin layer chromatography of dansyl and dinitrophenyl derivatives of amino acids. A review

The dinitrophenyl (DNP) derivatives of amino acids have found continual application in protein sequencing since Sanger used them for the first time for the sequencing of insulin. Dansyl derivatives of amino acids have been widely used in protein sequencing because of their fluorescent nature. The success of protein sequencing largely depends upon correct identification of such derivatives. The choice for the method of identification is related to cost, the availability of instrumentation and to the sensitivity needed for the analysis. Thin layer chromatography (TLC) is simple and has several advantages over other chromatographic methods. Therefore the literature after 1972 is reviewed for TLC analysis of dansyl- and DNP-amino acids, the two important amino acid derivatives required for identifying protein sequences. Additionally, the literature on the TLC resolution of enantiomeric mixtures of dansyl amino acids is reviewed. Application of various adsorbents, composition of solvent systems and other experimental conditions together with successful resolution data have been discussed. TLC provides a direct and inexpensive method for the resolution of enantiomers, and is fast becoming a sensitive instrumentalized quantitative analytical technique.