Liquid-liquid chromatography in enantioseparations

Continuous chiral separation process for high-speed countercurrent chromatography established and scaled up: A case of Voriconazole enantioseparation

An efficient method for the continuous separation of Voriconazole enantiomers was developed using sulfobutyl ether-β-cyclodextrin (SBE-β-CD) as a chiral selector in high-speed countercurrent chromatography (HSCCC) with different types. The separation was performed using a two-phase solvent system consisting of n-hexane/ethyl acetate/100 mmol/L phosphate buffer solution (pH = 3.0, containing 50 mmol/L SBE-β-CD) (1.5:0.5:2, v/v/v). A fast and predictable scale-up process was achieved using an analytical DE HSCCC instrument. The optimized parameters were subsequently applied to a preparative Tauto HSCCC instrument, resulting in consistent separation time and enantiomeric purity, with throughput boosted by a remarkable 11-fold. Preparative HSCCC successfully separated 506 mg of the racemate, delivering enantiomers exceeding 99% purity as confirmed by high-performance liquid chromatography analysis. This investigation presents an effective methodology for forecasting the HSCCC scale-up process and attaining continuous separation of chiral drugs.

Chiral recognition mechanism studies of Tyr-Arg-Phe-Lys-NH2 tetrapeptide on crown ether-based chiral stationary phase

Even though chiral recognition for crown-ether CSPs is generally understood, on a molecular level, exact mechanisms for the resolution are still unclear. Furthermore, short peptide analytes often contain multiple amino moieties capable of binding to the crown ether selector. In order to extend the understanding in chiral recognition mechanisms, polar organic mode separation of Tyr-Arg-Phe-Lys-NH2 tetrapeptide llll/dddd enantiomers on S- and R-(3,3'-diphenyl-1,1'-binaphthyl)-20-crown-6 stationary phases was studied with 50-mM perchloric acid in methanol as mobile phase. Deviation from the generally acceptable 1:1 stoichiometry was supported by mass spectroscopy analysis of the formed complexes between tetrapeptide enantiomer and crown ether selectors, which revealed adducts possessing 1:1, 1:2, and 1:3 stoichiometry. Further investigation of complexation induced shifts by NMR indicated on different binding mechanisms between llll/dddd enantiomers of Tyr-Arg-Phe-Lys-NH2 and crown ether selectors. Enantioselective proton shifts were observed in studied tetrapeptide tyrosine and phenylalanine residues exclusively for llll enantiomer upon binding with S-(3,3'-diphenyl-1,1'-binaphthyl)-20-crown-6 selector (and dddd enantiomer with R-(3,3'-diphenyl-1,1'-binaphthyl)-20-crown-6 selector), indicating that these two amino acid residues contribute to chiral recognition. The obtained results were in agreement with the LC data.

Enantioseparation of two antifungal azole drugs by analytical countercurrent chromatography using sulfobutyl ether-β-cyclodextrin as chiral selector

This study reports a successful enantioseparation of two antifungal drugs, Ketoconazole and Voriconazole, using countercurrent chromatography (CCC) with synthesized sulfobutyl ether-β-cyclodextrin (SBE-β-CD) as chiral selector. Two biphasic solvent systems composed of dichloromethane: 0.1 mol L-1 of phosphate buffer solution (pH 3.0) (1:1, v/v) and n-hexane: ethyl acetate: 0.1 mol L-1 phosphate buffer solution (pH 3.0) (1.5:0.5:2, v/v/v) were selected. Influence factors were investigated, including degree of substitution of SBE-β-CD, concentration of SBE-β-CD, equilibrium temperature, and pH of aqueous phase. Under optimized separation conditions, a large enantioseparation factor of α ≥ 3.26 and a high peak resolution Rs= 1.82, was achieved for enantioseparation of Voriconazole by countercurrent chromatography, and purity of two azole stereoisomers collected from CCC separation reached 98.5%, as determined by HPLC. Molecular docking was employed to investigate the formation of inclusion complex.

Quinine-Fabricated Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy Chiral Sensing Platform Enables Simultaneous Enantioselective Discrimination and Identification of Aliphatic Amino Acids

Due to low optical activity and structural simplicity, synchronous chiral discrimination and identification of aliphatic amino acids (AAs) are still challenging yet demanding. Herein, we developed a novel surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS)-based chiral discrimination-sensing platform for aliphatic AAs, in which l- and d-enantiomers are able to discriminately bind with quinine to generate distinct differences in the SERS vibrational modes. Meanwhile, the plasmonic sub-nanometer gaps supported by the rigid quinine enable the maximization of SERS signal enhancement to reveal feeble signals, allowing for simultaneously acquiring the structural specificity and enantioselectivity of aliphatic amino acid enantiomers in a single SERS spectrum. Different kinds of chiral aliphatic AAs were successfully identified by using this sensing platform, demonstrating its potential and practicality in recognizing chiral aliphatic molecules.

Enantioseparation of three constitutional isomeric 2-(methylphenyl)propanoic acids by countercurrent chromatography

2-(3-Methylphenyl)propanic acid and 2-(4-methylphenyl)propanoic acid were successfully enantioseparated by countercurrent chromatography using hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin (HP-β-CD) as a chiral selector. 2-(2-Methylphenyl)propanoic acid was also studied to compare the enantioseparation ability of three isomeric 2-(methylphenyl)propanoic acids. Totally 20 mg of 2-(3-methylphenyl)propanic acid and 20mg of 2-(4-methylphenyl)propanic acid were enantioseparated individually by countercurrent chromatography. Recovery for the (±)-2-(3-methylphenyl)propanic acid enantiomer was in the range of 85%-90% with 98.0%-98.8% purity and recovery for the (±)-2-(4-methylphenyl)propanic acid enantiomer was in the range of 80%-83% with 97.0%-98.0% purity. The enantioseparation factor in countercurrent chromatography for 2-(4-methylphenyl)propanic acid and 2-(3-methylphenyl)propanic acid were 1.31 and 1.26, and the peak resolution in HPLC reached 2.2 and 1.4. However, no enantioseparation could be found for 2-(2-methylphenyl)propanic acid. In addition, the inclusion complexes were investigated by UV spectrophotometer. The inclusion formation constant of inclusion complex between 2-(4-methylphenyl)propanic acid, 2-(3-methylphenyl)propanic acid, 2-(2-methylphenyl)propanic acid and HP-β-CD were determined as 121.73 mol/L, 78.12 mol/L and 53.18 mol/L, respectively. The present results showed that enantiorecognition was greatly affected by substituted positions of methyl group on the benzene ring. Combined with our previous results, the steric hindrance had a significant effect on inclusion interaction between HP-β-CD and racemic 2-(substitutedphenyl)propanoic acids. No enantiorecognition could be achieved for 2-(substitutedphenyl)propanoic acids with ortho-substituent group on benzene, while the influence of meta- and para- group on enantiorecognition varies with different substituent groups on benzene ring.