Evaluation of carbon nanotubes as chiral selectors for continuous-flow enantiomeric separation of carvedilol with fluorescent detection

Enantioseparation/Recognition based on nano techniques/materials

Enantiomers show different behaviors in interaction with the chiral environment. Due to their identical chemical structure and their wide application in various industries, such as agriculture, medicine, pesticide, food, and so forth, their separation is of great importance. Today, the term "nano" is frequently encountered in all fields. Technology and measuring devices are moving towards miniaturization, and the usage of nanomaterials in all sectors is expanding substantially. Given that scientists have recently attempted to apply miniaturized techniques known as nano-liquid chromatography/capillary-liquid chromatography, which were originally accomplished in 1988, as well as the widespread usage of nanomaterials for chiral resolution (back in 1989), this comprehensive study was developed. Searching the terms "nano" and "enantiomer separation" on scientific websites such as Scopus, Google Scholar, and Web of Science yields articles that either use miniaturized instruments or apply nanomaterials as chiral selectors with a variety of chemical and electrochemical detection techniques, which are discussed in this article.

Influence of multi-walled carbon nanotubes on enantioselective bioaccumulation and oxidative stress toxicity of indoxacarb in zebrafish(Danio rerio)

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have been widely used in various fields with the rapid development of nanotechnology. Pesticides have an irreplaceable role in agricultural production, which leads to their massive utilization and their inevitably penetrate into the aquatic environment. However, limited information is available regarding the impact of CNTs on the toxicity and enrichment of chiral compounds to organisms. Using zebrafish as a model to study whether the enantioselective bioaccumulation and oxidative stress of chiral pollutants may be altered in the presence of MWCNTs. Significant enantioselective bioaccumulation was observed in zebrafish with the preferential accumulation of R-(-)-indoxacarb during the 28-day bioaccumulation. The combined exposure of MWCNTs does not affect the enantioselectivity of zebrafish bioaccumulation, but increase the bioaccumulation amount of R-(-)-indoxacarb by 65%. Moreover, the average degradation half-life of indoxacarb enantiomers was 1.30 days. The indoxacarb causes oxidative stress toxicity in zebrafish liver and exhibited enantioselectivity, while the addition of MWCNTs did not significantly change the enantioselectivity of oxidative stress toxicity of indoxacarb, but enhanced the toxicity 20% with increased MWCNTs concentrations. This study suggests that the risk of the co-presence of nanomaterials and chiral pesticides in aquatic environments should be taken into consideration.

Application of Carbon Nanotubes in Chiral and Achiral Separations of Pharmaceuticals, Biologics and Chemicals

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) possess unique mechanical, physical, electrical and absorbability properties coupled with their nanometer dimensional scale that renders them extremely valuable for applications in many fields including nanotechnology and chromatographic separation. The aim of this review is to provide an updated overview about the applications of CNTs in chiral and achiral separations of pharmaceuticals, biologics and chemicals. Chiral single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) and multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) have been directly applied for the enantioseparation of pharmaceuticals and biologicals by using them as stationary or pseudostationary phases in chromatographic separation techniques such as high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), capillary electrophoresis (CE) and gas chromatography (GC). Achiral MWCNTs have been used for achiral separations as efficient sorbent objects in solid-phase extraction techniques of biochemicals and drugs. Achiral SWCNTs have been applied in achiral separation of biological samples. Achiral SWCNTs and MWCNTs have been also successfully used to separate achiral mixtures of pharmaceuticals and chemicals. Collectively, functionalized CNTs have been indirectly applied in separation science by enhancing the enantioseparation of different chiral selectors whereas non-functionalized CNTs have shown efficient capabilities for chiral separations by using techniques such as encapsulation or immobilization in polymer monolithic columns.

Magnetic mixed hemimicelle solid-phase extraction based on mixed hemi-/ad-micelle SDS-coated magnetic nanoparticles Fe2-xAlxO3 (x = 0.4) for the fluorimetric determination of carvedilol in biological samples

Mixed hemi-/ad-micelle SDS-coated magnetic nanoparticles (Fe2-xAlxO3 (x = 0.4)) were used as an efficient adsorbent for the extraction and preconcentration of carvedilol (CVD) based on magnetic mixed hemimicelle solid-phase extraction. The Fe2-xAlxO3 magnetic nanoparticles not only have better stability and resistance to acidity, as well as alkalinity, but also are easy to prepare, inexpensive, and environmentally friendly. Several parameters that affected the extraction efficiency were investigated, including the type and volume of desorption solvent, extraction and desorption times, pH of the solution, zeta potential, and amounts of adsorbent and surfactant. Under the optimized extraction conditions, the developed method showed good linearity (R2 = 0.9998) within the range of 0.02–2.7 ng mL−1, and the limit of detection was 0.009 ng mL−1. The spiked recoveries of CVD in urine and plasma samples ranged from 101.50% to 111.00%. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first time that a mixed hemi-/ad-micelle solid-phase extraction method based on magnetic separation and nanoparticles has been used as a simple and sensitive method for the monitoring of CVD in biological samples.

The Reciprocal Principle of Selectand-Selector-Systems in Supramolecular Chromatography †

In selective chromatography and electromigration methods, supramolecular recognition of selectands and selectors is due to the fast and reversible formation of association complexes governed by thermodynamics. Whereas the selectand molecules to be separated are always present in the mobile phase, the selector employed for the separation of the selectands is either part of the stationary phase or is added to the mobile phase. By the reciprocal principle, the roles of selector and selectand can be reversed. In this contribution in honor of Professor Stig Allenmark, the evolution of the reciprocal principle in chromatography is reviewed and its advantages and limitations are outlined. Various reciprocal scenarios, including library approaches, are discussed in efforts to optimize selectivity in separation science.

Facile preparation of octadecyl monoliths with incorporated carbon nanotubes and neutral monoliths with coated carbon nanotubes stationary phases for HPLC of small and large molecules by hydrophobic and π-π interactions

Two approaches for incorporating carbon nanotubes into monolithic columns for HPLC are described in this report. They pertain to the investigation of carbon nanotubes either (i) as entities to modulate solute retention on monolithic columns bearing well defined retentive ligands or (ii) as entities that constitute the stationary phase responsible for solute retention and separation. Approach (i) involved the incorporation of carbon nanotubes into octadecyl monolithic columns while approach (ii) concerns the preparation and evaluation of an ideal monolithic support and coating it with carbon nanotubes to yield a real "carbon nanotube stationary phase" for the HPLC separation of a wide range of solutes. First, an octadecyl monolithic column based on the in situ polymerization of octadecyl acrylate and trimethylolpropane trimethacrylate was optimized for use in HPLC separations of small and large solutes (e.g., proteins). To further modulate the retention and separation of proteins, small amounts of carbon nanotubes were incorporated into the octadecyl monolith column. In approach (ii), an inert, relatively polar monolith based on the in situ polymerization of glyceryl monomethacrylate (GMM) and ethylene glycol dimethacrylate (EDMA) proved to be the most suitable support for the preparation of "carbon nanotube stationary phase". This carbon nanotube "coated" monolith proved useful in the HPLC separation of a wide range of small solutes including enantiomers. In approach (ii), a more homogeneous incorporation of carbon nanotubes into the diol monolithic columns (i.e., GMM/EDMA) was achieved when hydroxyl functionalized carbon nanotubes were incorporated into the GMM/EDMA monolithic support. In addition, high power sonication for a short time enhanced further the homogeneity of the monolith incorporated with nanotubes. In all cases, nonpolar and π interactions were responsible for solute retention on the monolith incorporated carbon nanotubes.

Carbon nanotubes: applications in pharmacy and medicine

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are allotropes of carbon, made of graphite and constructed in cylindrical tubes with nanometer in diameter and several millimeters in length. Their impressive structural, mechanical, and electronic properties are due to their small size and mass, their strong mechanical potency, and their high electrical and thermal conductivity. CNTs have been successfully applied in pharmacy and medicine due to their high surface area that is capable of adsorbing or conjugating with a wide variety of therapeutic and diagnostic agents (drugs, genes, vaccines, antibodies, biosensors, etc.). They have been first proven to be an excellent vehicle for drug delivery directly into cells without metabolism by the body. Then other applications of CNTs have been extensively performed not only for drug and gene therapies but also for tissue regeneration, biosensor diagnosis, enantiomer separation of chiral drugs, extraction and analysis of drugs and pollutants. Moreover, CNTs have been recently revealed as a promising antioxidant. This minireview focuses the applications of CNTs in all fields of pharmacy and medicine from therapeutics to analysis and diagnosis as cited above. It also examines the pharmacokinetics, metabolism and toxicity of different forms of CNTs and discusses the perspectives, the advantages and the obstacles of this promising bionanotechnology in the future.