Investigation of the synergistic effect with chiral D‐penicillamine functionalized gold nanoparticle as an additive for enantiomeric separation in capillary electrophoresis

Enantioseparation of six profenoid drugs by capillary electrophoresis with bovine serum albumin-modified gold nanoparticles as quasi-stationary phases

Profenoid drugs are a kind of common non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and their chiral enantiomers often have huge differences in pharmacological activities. In this work, a novel chiral separation system by capillary electrophoresis (CE) was constructed using gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) functionalized with bovine serum albumin (BSA) as a quasi-stationary phase (QSP), and the enantioseparation of six profenoid drugs was efficiently accomplished. Under optimal chromatographic conditions, the enantioseparation performance of the AuNP@BSA-based chiral separation system was greatly improved compared with that of free BSA (Resolutions, Ibuprofen: 0.89 → 8.15; Ketoprofen: 0 → 10.02; Flurbiprofen:0.56 → 9.83; Indoprofen: 0.88 → 13.83; Fenoprofen: 0 → 15.21; Pyranoprofen: 0.59 → 5.34). Such high Rs are exciting and satisfying and it is in the leading position in the reported papers. Finally, through molecular docking, it was also found that the difference in binding energy between BSA and enantiomers was closely related to the resolutions of CE systems, revealing the chiral selection mechanism of BSA. This work significantly improves the CE chiral separation performance through a simple strategy, providing a simple and efficient idea for the chiral separation method.

Applications of electrophoresis for small enantiomeric drugs in real-world samples: Recent trends and future perspectives

Separation and identification of chiral molecules is a topic widely discussed in the literature and of fundamental importance, especially in the pharmaceutical and food fields, both from industrial and laboratory points of view. Several techniques are used to carry out these analyses, but high-performance liquid chromatography is often the "gold standard." The high costs of chiral columns, necessary for this technique, led researchers to look for an alternative, and capillary electrophoresis (CE) is a technique capable of overcoming some of the disadvantages of liquid chromatography, often providing comparable results in terms of sensitivity and robustness. We addressed this topic, already widely discussed in the literature, providing an overview of the last 6 years of the most frequent and recent applications of CE. To make the manuscript more effective, we decided to divide it into paragraphs that represent the main field of application, from enantioseparation in complex matrices (pharmacokinetic studies or toxicological dosage of drugs, analysis of environmental pollutants, and analyses of foods) to quality control analyses on pharmaceutical formulas. About these, which are the fields of most meaningful use, we mentioned some of the most innovative and performing methods, with a look to the future on the application of new materials used, such as chiral selectors, that can make these types of analyses accessible to all, reducing cost, time, and excessive use of toxic solvents.

A cooperation tale of biomolecules and nanomaterials in nanoscale chiral sensing and separation

The cooperative relationship between biomolecules and nanomaterials makes up a beautiful tale about nanoscale chiral sensing and separation. Biomolecules are considered a fabulous chirality 'donor' to develop chiral sensors and separation systems. Nature has endowed biomolecules with mysterious chirality. Various nanomaterials with specific physicochemical attributes can realize the transmission and amplification of this chirality. We focus on highlighting the advantages of combining biomolecules and nanomaterials in nanoscale chirality. To enhance the sensors' detection sensitivity, novel cooperation approaches between nanomaterials and biomolecules have attracted tremendous attention. Moreover, innovative biomolecule-based nanocomposites possess great importance in developing chiral separation systems with improved assay performance. This review describes the formation of a network based on nanomaterials and biomolecules mainly including DNA, proteins, peptides, amino acids, and polysaccharides. We hope this tale will record the perpetual relation between biomolecules and nanomaterials in nanoscale chirality.

From capillaries to microchips, green electrophoretic features for enantiomeric separations: A decade review (2013-2022)

Enantioseparation by the electromigration-based method is well-established and widely discussed in the literature. Electrophoretic strategies have been used to baseline resolve complex enantiomeric mixtures, typically using a selector substance into the background electrolyte (BGE) from capillaries to microchips. Along with developing new materials/substances for enantioseparations, it is the concern about the green analytical chemistry (GAC) principles for method development and application. This review article brings a last decade's update on the publications involving enantioseparation by electrophoresis for capillary and microchip systems. It also brings a critical discussion on GAC principles and new green metrics in the context of developing an enantioseparation method. Chemical and green features of native and modified cyclodextrins are discussed. Still, given the employment of greener substances, ionic liquids and deep-eutectic solvents are highlighted, and some new selectors are proposed. For all the mentioned selectors, green features about their production, application, and disposal are considered. Sample preparation and BGE composition in GAC perspective, as well as greener derivatization possibilities, were also addressed. Therefore, one of the goals of this review is to aid the electrophoretic researchers to look where they have not.

Surface modified nanoparticles and their applications for enantioselective detection, analysis, and separation of various chiral compounds

The development of efficient enantioselective detection, analysis, and separation relies significantly on molecular interaction. In the scale of molecular interaction, nanomaterials have a significant influence on the performance of enantioselective recognitions. The use of nanomaterials for enantioselective recognition involved synthesizing new materials and immobilization techniques to produce various surface-modified nanoparticles that are either encapsulated or attached to surfaces, as well as layers and coatings. The combination of surface-modified nanomaterials and chiral selectors can improve enantioselective recognition. This review aims to offer engagement insights into the production and application of surface-modified nanomaterials to achieve sensitive and selective detection, better chiral analysis, and separation of numerous chiral compounds.

Study of antagonism between some intestinal bacteria with high-speed micellar electrokinetic chromatography

In this work, high-speed micellar electrokinetic chromatography with LIF detection was applied to study the antagonism between three intestinal bacteria, Escherichia coli (E. coli), Bacillus licheniformis (B. licheniformis) and Bacillus subtilis (B. subtilis). The fluorescent derivatization for the bacteria was performed by labeling the bacteria with FITC. In a high-speed capillary electrophoresis (HSCE) device, the three bacteria could be completely separated within 4 min under the separation mode MEKC. The BGE was 1 × TBE containing 30 mM SDS and 1.5 × 10^-5  g/mL polyethylene oxide. The limits of detection for E. coli, B. licheniformis and B. subtilis were 2.80 × 10⁶ CFU/mL, 1.60 × 10⁶ CFU/mL and 1.90 × 10⁶ CFU/mL respectively. Lastly, the method was applied to investigate the antagonism between the three bacteria. The bacteria were mixed and cultured for 7 days. The samples were separated and determined every day to study the interaction between bacteria. The results showed that B. licheniformis and B. subtilis could not inhibit each other, but they could effectively inhibit the reproduction of E. coli. The method developed in this work was quick, sensitive and convenient, and it had great potential in the application of antagonism study for bacteria.