Cyclodextrin-Mediated High-Performance Liquid Chromatography, Gas Chromatography and Capillary Electrophoresis Enantiomeric Separations

Abstract

Cyclodextrins (CDs) and CD derivatives are versatile chiral selectors. They have played a fundamental role in almost every enantiomeric separation and characterization method. In this chapter, an overview of CD-mediated enantiomeric separation methods will be provided, with an emphasis on High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC), Gas Chromatography (GC), and Capillary Electrophoresis (CE), which are the three most important analytical techniques for the separation of enantiomers. A general introduction to CDs and their properties will be presented. In the following sections, binding chemistries, categories of CD-bonded stationary phases for HPLC, and their general separation mechanisms will be discussed. In the third part on GC, the main types of CD-based chiral selectors, their separation mechanism in the gas phase, and their applications will be discussed. The last section is focused on CD-mediated enantiomeric separation in CE. An introduction to the four main classes of CDs that are used as chiral additives, as well as their use, effectiveness, and limitations, is provided.