A novel chiral monolithic nano-column with 50 µm i.d. for the enantioseparation of chiral drugs by nano-liquid chromatography

Abstract

A novel chiral monolithic nano-column was developed for the enantioseparation of chiral drugs by nano-liquid chromatography (nano-LC). The monolithic capillary with 50 µm i.d. was first prepared by an in-situ polymerization using butyl methacrylate (BuMA), ethylene dimethacrylate (EDMA) and NFMoc-Lysine modified GO nanoparticles. The final monolithic stationary phase was characterized by using FT-IR spectra of synthesized structures, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and chromatographic analyses. After characterization, the prepared chiral monolithic column was investigated for the chiral separation of pharmaceutical racemates, including anti-inflammatory drugs (e.g., ketoprofen, ibuprofen, naproxen, etodolac and flurbiprofen) and β-blockers (e.g. propranolol, metoprolol and atenolol). It was demonstrated that NFMoc-Lysine modified GO nanoparticles incorporated chiral monolith could be successfully developed while this chiral monolith allowed sensitive chiral separation of chiral drugs. The chiral separation could be mostly achieved via the formation of π-π interactions as well as hydrophilic interactions between chiral stationary phase and enantiomers