Enantioselective Recognition in Solution: The Case of Countercurrent Chromatography

Abstract

Countercurrent chromatography (CCC) is a preparative separation technique that works with a liquid stationary phase. Biphasic liquid systems are needed to perform a separation. Since a chiral selector is required to perform enantiomer separations, special requirements are imposed in CCC. The chiral selector (CS) must be located in the stationary phase since partitioning with the mobile phase would cause losses of the valuable chiral selector in the mobile phase. Sulfated cyclodextrins and proteins were used as polar CS located in the polar stationary phase (reversed phase mode). Apolar CSs such as N-dodecyl-l-proline 3,5-dimethylanilide or Whelk-O selectors, quinine and quinidine derivatives, cellulose or amylose apolar derivatives were used located in the apolar stationary phase (normal phase mode). The special CCC displacement method called pH-zone refining was found useful in the increase of the loading capacity for cellulose, quinine, quinidine, and proline-derived selectors. Dual and multidual mode uses of CCC could produce an increase in peak separation thereby broadening the applicability of moderately enantioselective CSs.