Chiral packed column subcritical fluid chromatography on polysaccharide and macrocyclic antibiotic chiral stationary phases

Temperature Responsive × Fast Chiral Comprehensive Liquid Chromatography: a New 2D-LC Platform for Resolving Mixtures of Chiral Isomers

Chiral resolution of solutes occurring in mixtures of unrelated species is of relevance in life sciences and in pharmaceutical analysis. While this is conceptually achievable by comprehensive two-dimensional liquid chromatography (LC × LC), few approaches exist whereby the second dimension comprises the chiral separation. The latter is preferable in combination with a conventional reversed phase type of separation in the first dimension as it offers an extension of a conventional achiral analysis. The implementation of such rapid chiral analyses in the second dimension was, thus far, limited by the challenging transfer of the first dimension mobile phase to the second dimension while still achieving chiral separation. In this study, the combination of temperature-responsive and reversed-phase chiral liquid chromatography is assessed in terms of enantioselective separation of a broad range of pharmaceutical compounds. Applying temperature-responsive liquid chromatography (TRLC) in the first dimension allows for analyses to be performed under purely aqueous conditions, which then allows for complete and more generic refocusing of (organic) solutes prior to the second dimension. This offers an enhanced ability to employ fast and broad compositional gradients over the chiral dimension, which broadens the applicability of the technique. In the proposed platform, seven chiral columns (superficially porous and fully porous columns (comprising both polysaccharide and macrocyclic antibiotic phases)) and four mobile phase gradients were screened on a pharmaceutical test mixture. The platform was shown to be able to offer the necessary resolving power for the molecules at hand and offers a new approach for chiral screening of mixtures of unrelated compounds.

Chiral separation of underivatized amino acids in supercritical fluid chromatography with chiral crown ether derived column

The supercritical fluid chromatographic separation of underivatized amino acids was explored using immobilized chiral crown ether column CROWNPAK CR-I (+) and mass spectrometric detection. The type of modifier, acidic additives, and the role of water were investigated. Enantioseparation was achieved for all 18 amino acids investigated with short retention times (less than 3 minutes) and average resolution of greater than 5.0. Analysis of enantiomerically pure standards demonstrated the D enantiomer eluted first for all amino acids using a CROWNPAK CR-I (+) column.

Enantioselective potential of teicoplanin- and vancomycin-based superficially porous particles-packed columns for supercritical fluid chromatography

Application of the superficially porous particles (SPPs) grafted with chiral selectors can substantially improve resolution in chromatographic techniques. In this work, we carried out a deeper study on supercritical fluid chromatography systems with 2.7 µm SPPs bonded with teicoplanin and vancomycin. Fast separations of the majority of enantiomers of phytoalexins, substituted tryptophans, and ketamine derivatives, as representatives of important biologically active and structurally diverse chiral compounds have been achieved. The chromatographic behavior of the structurally different analytes served to characterize these separation systems. The influence of separation conditions, namely mobile phase composition, i.e. type of co-solvent and additive on retention, enantioselective resolution and enantioselectivity was examined. The success rate of baseline and partial separations in individual groups of compounds differed with the chiral stationary phase and also with mobile phase composition. The best, baseline separations for the phytoalexins were achieved on the TeicoShell column using methanol as a co-solvent and trifluoroacetic acid as an additive if used. Mostly partial separations were achieved on the vancomycin-based column for all groups of analytes. Complementary separation behavior of these CSPs was confirmed for the majority of the chiral compounds examined in this work.

Characterization of three macrocyclic glycopeptide stationary phases in supercritical fluid chromatography

Macrocyclic glycopeptides have been used as chromatographic stationary phases for over twenty years, particularly for their ability to separate enantiomers. While they are mostly used with buffered aqueous liquid mobile phases, they can also be used in supercritical fluid chromatography (SFC) with mobile phases comprising pressurized carbon dioxide and a co-solvent (like methanol), possibly comprising acidic or basic additives. In the present study, we compared three macrocyclic glycopeptide stationary phases (Chirobiotic V2, Chirobiotic T and Chirobiotic TAG) in SFC with carbon dioxide - methanol (90:10) containing no additives. First, the interactions contributing to retention are evaluated with a modified version of the solvation parameter model, comprising five Abraham descriptors (E, S, A, B, V) and two additional descriptors to take account of interactions with ionizable species (D^- and D⁺). Linear solvation energy relationships (LSER) are established based on the retention of 145 achiral analytes. Secondly, the contributions of interactions to enantioseparations are discussed, based on the analysis of 67 racemates. The individual success rate on each phase was observed to be moderate, especially as these phases are known to be more efficient when acidic or basic additives are employed. Chirobiotic TAG proved more successful than the other two phases. Discriminant analyses were computed to gain some insight on retention mechanisms, but only Chirobiotic TAG provided interpretable results. Finally, the effects of a small proportion of acidic or basic additive on enantioseparation with Chirobiotic T stationary phase are briefly discussed.

Preparation and evaluation of monolithic molecularly imprinted stationary phase for S-naproxen

An S-naproxen (S-NAP) molecularly imprinted monolithic stationary phase (MIMSP) with specific recognition for S-NAP and naproxen (NAP) was prepared by in situ technique, utilizing 4-vinylpridine (4-VP) as a function monomer, ethylene glycol dimethacrylate (EDMA) as a cross-linking agent, and low-polar solvents (toluene and dodecanol) as porogenic solvents. The selectivity of the polymers for S-NAP and NAP was evaluated by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The binding characteristics were tested by Scatchard analysis. Racemic NAP could be specifically separated to some extent. At the same time, NAP could be separated from ibuprofen under optimized conditions. Scatchard analysis showed that two classes of binding sites existed in the S-NAP-imprinted polymers, with their dissociation constants estimated to be 1.045 and 5.496 μM, respectively. The results demonstrate that S-NAP and NAP can be recognized specifically on the obtained MIMSP.

Retention mechanism of high-performance liquid chromatographic enantioseparation on macrocyclic glycopeptide-based chiral stationary phases

The development of methods for the separation of enantiomers has attracted great interest in the past 20 years, since it became evident that the potential biological or pharmacological applications are mostly restricted to one of the enantiomers. In the past decade, macrocyclic antibiotics have proved to be an exceptionally useful class of chiral selectors for the separation of enantiomers of biological and pharmacological importance by means of high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), thin-layer chromatography and electrophoresis. The glycopeptides avoparcin, teicoplanin, ristocetin A and vancomycin have been extensively used as chiral selectors in the form of chiral bonded phases in HPLC, and HPLC stationary phases based on these glycopeptides have been commercialized. In fact, the macrocyclic glycopeptides are to some extent complementary to one another: where partial enantioresolution is obtained with one glycopeptide, there is a high probability that baseline or better separation can be obtained with another. This review sets out to characterize the physicochemical properties of these macrocyclic glycopeptide antibiotics and, through their application, endeavors to demonstrate the mechanism of separation on macrocyclic glycopeptides. The sequence of elution of the stereoisomers and the relation to the absolute configuration are also discussed.

HPLC separation of amino acid enantiomers and small peptides on macrocyclic antibiotic-based chiral stationary phases: a review

The search for new and effective chiral selectors capable of separating a wide variety of enantiomeric compounds is an ongoing process. In the past decade, macrocyclic antibiotics have proved to be an exceptionally useful class of chiral selectors for the separation of enantiomers of biological and pharmacological importance by means of HPLC, TLC and electrophoresis. More chiral analytes have been resolved through the use of glycopeptides than with all the other macrocyclic antibiotics combined (ansamycins, thiostrepton, aminoglycosides, etc.). The glycopeptides avoparcin, teicoplanin, ristocetin A and vancomycin have been extensively used as chiral selectors in the form of chiral bonded phases in HPLC, and HPLC stationary phases based on these glycopeptides have been commercialized. Teicoplanin, vancomycin, their analogs and ristocetin A seem to be the most useful glycopeptide HPLC bonded phases for the enantioseparation of proteins and unusal native and derivatized amino acids. In fact, the macrocyclic glycopeptides are to some extent complementary to one another: where partial enantioresolution is obtained with one glycopeptide, there is a high probability that baseline or better separation can be obtained with another. This review sets out to characterize the physicochemical properties of these antibiotics and their application in the enantioseparations of amino acids. The mechanism of separation, the sequence of elution of the stereoisomers and the relation to the absolute configuration are also discussed.

Enantiomeric separation of several antimycotic azole drugs using supercritical fluid chromatography

The chiral resolution of four antifungal compounds, three imidazoles (miconazole, econazole and sulconazole) and one triazole (itraconazole) using supercritical fluid chromatography on the amylose-based chiral stationary phase Chiralpak AD, is presented in this work. The influence of pressure, type and percentage of organic modifier and temperature on retention times and resolution was studied. The enantiomeric separation of the three imidazoles was achieved with resolutions higher than two and analysis times lower than 10 min, obtaining the best results using methanol as modifier. However, the analysis time of the triazole was higher than 80 min due to the existence of a high number of functional groups that were able to interact with the chiral stationary phase. In this case, the resolution of the four stereoisomers was achieved only partially with mixtures of ethanol and 2-propanol as modifier. The isoenantioselective temperatures were obtained from the study of the influence of the temperature, they were above the range of temperatures assayed, except for sulconazole using 2-propanol.

Enantiomeric separation of chiral sulfoxides by supercritical fluid chromatography

The application of supercritical fluid chromatography (SFC) to the enantiomeric separation of several chiral sulfoxides belonging to the family of the substituted benzimidazoles, including omeprazole, lansoprazole, pantoprazole, rabeprazole, oxfendazole and ricobendazole, is presented in this work. The column employed was Chiralpak AD and the effect of different chromatographic conditions was studied. The results obtained showed that all the compounds can be enantiomerically resolved using SFC, with resolutions higher than 2 and analysis times that in most cases were lower than 10 min. Alcohol type modifiers provided the best results, with ricobendazole, oxfendazole, and omeprazole showing the highest retentions and resolutions. Study of the temperature effect revealed that, in general, the isoelution temperature was above the temperatures assayed, except in the cases of omeprazole, lansoprazole, and oxfendazole with ethanol as modifier and pantoprazole with acetonitrile. Enthalpy-entropy compensation could also be demonstrated for the retention of the first and second eluted enantiomers as well as for the selectivity, with compensation temperatures of 25 degrees C, 45 degrees C, and 83 degrees C, respectively. Reversal of elution on change of the organic modifier was only observed for omeprazole using 2-propanol.

Study of the enantiomeric separation of oxfendazole and cetirizine using subcritical fluid chromatography on an amylose-based column

The enantiomeric separation of cetirizine and oxfendazole on a Chiralpak AD column using subcritical fluid chromatography has been studied in this work. The enantioseparation of cetirizine was only possible when 2-propanol was used as a modifier, obtaining better results in presence of the additives triethylamine (TEA) and trifluoroacetic acid (TFAA). On the contrary, 2-propanol provided the lowest enantioresolutions for oxfendazole, in this case the best results in terms of high resolution and short analysis time were obtained with ethanol. The study of the temperature effect revealed that in the case of cetirizine using 2-propanol, and oxfendazole using methanol, the separation was enthalpy-driven and the isoelution temperature was above the working range. Using ethanol or 2-propanol, the results showed that the oxfendazole enantioseparation was entropically driven and the isoelution temperatures were below the range studied.

Enantiomeric resolution of bifonazole by supercritical fluid chromatography

The enantiomeric separation of bifonazole by supercritical fluid chromatography on Chiralpak AD has been studied. The effect of different modifiers (methanol, ethanol, 2-propanol, and acetonitrile) was examined. Enantioseparation was possible with all of them, but the best results were provided by the alcohol-type ones. The resolution was higher than 5 in all cases. The isoelution temperatures Tiso were calculated from the study of the temperature effect for the different organic modifiers. The value of Tiso was below the working temperature range on using methanol, but above it with ethanol or 2-propanol.

Screening approach for chiral separation of pharmaceuticals

The aim of this work is to determine generic screening conditions and an initial simple separation strategy allowing the rapid separation of drug enantiomers in polar organic solvent chromatography (POSC). Four cellulose/amylose-based stationary phases were investigated in detail using two mobile phase basis solvents commonly applied in this mode, i.e. acetonitrile and methanol. Polar mode is interesting for use in purification of enantiomers. In a first step, the parameters potentially influencing the separation, such as addition of an alcohol to the polar organic solvent or the type of mobile phase additive(s), were examined by means of experimental designs. Afterwards, the factors found most important are investigated in more detail. Results showed that the cellulose- and amylose-based stationary phases have very broad and complementary enantiorecognition abilities in the POSC mode. The type of organic solvent for the mobile phase appeared to have a dramatic influence on the quality of the separation. Based on the results, a screening strategy was proposed. Enantioseparation was observed in more than 85% of the tested compounds and analysis times of last eluted peak were usually below 10 min.

Screening approach for chiral separation of pharmaceuticals

High-throughput and performance analysis and purification of enantiomers are important parts of drug discovery and provide high-quality compounds for pharmacological testing. We have previously reported two parts describing chiral chromatographic screens using normal-phase (NPLC) and reversed-phase (RPLC) liquid chromatography, in order to cope with increasing numbers of new compounds generated by chemistry programs. We present in this part the development and implementation of a third faster screen using supercritical fluid chromatography (SFC) to maximize chance in achieving rapid enantiomer resolution of large numbers of compounds in a minimum of time. The SFC screen utilizes a narrow combination of only four columns (Chirlapak AD and AS, and Chiralcel OD and OJ) and two solvent modifiers (methanol and isopropanol). A modifier and column-switching setup was employed to allow the entire screening process to be serially run in the order AD> OD > OJ > AS and methanol > isopropanol, so that the screening for a given molecule can be stopped when separation is achieved. The switching system was fully automated for unattended operation of multiple compounds. An optimization procedure was also defined, which can be performed if needed for unsuccessful separations in the screening step. The chiral SFC strategy proved its performance and robustness in resolution of hundreds proprietary chiral molecules generated by drug discovery programs, with a success rate exceeding 95%. In addition, the generic capability of the strategy was evaluated by applying the screen and optimization methodology to a test set comprising 40 marketed drugs differing from proprietary compounds in terms of chemical diversity, revealing a similar high success rate of 98%. Chiral separations developed at the analytical scale work easily and equally well at the semi-preparative level, as illustrated with an example. The SFC screen allows resolution of compounds that were partially separated by NPLC or not separated at all by RPLC, demonstrating the utility of implementing complementary chromatographic techniques. The SFC screen is currently an integral part of our analytical support to discovery chemical programs and is considered the first try for chiral separations of new compounds, because it offers a higher success rate, performance and throughput.

Separation of naproxen enantiomers by supercritical/subcritical fluid chromatography

An isocratic supercritical/subcritical fluid chromatography method for the separation of naproxen enantiomers on the Kromasil CHI-TBB column was investigated. The mobile phase was composed of supercritical CO2 with 2-propanol as modifier. The experimental conditions were temperature 293 K-323 K, pressure 9.4 MPa-21.3 MPa, and 2-propanol concentration 6%-15% (by mass), respectively. The enthalpic contribution to the overall enantiomer transfer energy was more important than the entropic contribution in the temperature range examined. The preferred operation conditions were 293 K, 9.4 MPa, and the concentration of 2-propanol in the mobile phase 11% (by mass).

Integration of supercritical fluid chromatography into drug discovery as a routine support tool

Supercritical fluid chromatography (SFC) has been implemented within our group as a purity assessment and purification tool to complement high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) for diastereomer and chiral separations. Using a novel strategy, rapid chiral screening has been implemented using short columns, high flow rates and fast gradients. A primary screen delivers a separation assessment using one solvent modifier (methanol) and four columns (Chiralpak AD-H and AS-H, and Chiralcel OD-H and OJ-H) run serially in a total of 24 min. A secondary screen then uses ethanol and isopropanol (IPA) modifiers across the same columns. The screens can be combined to run a sequence of samples overnight where each racemate is analysed over 80 min. The fast analytical screening and optimisation process enables rapid identification of the purification method. Furthermore, subsequent preparative chiral SFC has decreased the overall sample turnaround time for the Medicinal Chemist, delivering high fraction purities and acceptable recoveries, substantial operational cost savings and increased flexibility with respect to large scale purification feasibility in comparison to HPLC. SFC has been so successful it is now used as the primary method for chiral analysis and purification within our laboratory.

Supercritical fluid chromatography tandem-column method development in pharmaceutical sciences for a mixture of four stereoisomers

A tandem-column method using Chiralpak AD-H and Chiralcel OD-H columns was achieved for baseline separation of a mixture of chiral pharmaceutical compounds (i.e., four stereoisomers) via supercritical fluid chromatography (SFC) with a mobile phase consisting of 90% liquid carbon dioxide and 10% ethanol:isopropanol (50:50 v/v). On the contrary, this mixture (mixture A) could not be baseline separated by SFC conditions explored with individual Chiralpak AD-H and Chiralcel OD-H columns. The effects of various mobile phases on elution order, capacity factor, selectivity, and resolution were determined with mixture A on the individual aforementioned columns to develop the tandem-column method.

Sub- and Supercritical Chiral Separation of Racemic Compounds on Columns with Stationary Phases Having Different Functional Groups

Separation of the enantiomers of each of three different racemates, neutral rac-alpha-tetralol, acidic rac-2-phenylpropionic acid, and basic rac-1-phenylethylamine, using subcritical and supercritical fluid chromatography with two different chiral stationary phases, heptakis(2,3,6-tri-O-methyl)-beta-cyclodextrin (Sumichiral OA-7500 column) and tris(3,5-dimethylphenylcarbamate) of amylose (Chiralpak AD-H column), was compared. The elution order of the enantiomers of the three racemates was determined, and the effects of the type of alcohol modifier, column oven temperature, mobile phase composition, flow rate, and pressure were examined. The most appropriate column oven temperature depended on both the type of alcohol modifier and the compound analyzed. Lower alcohol content improved the peak separation of both rac-alpha-tetralol on the Sumichiral OA-7500 column and rac-1-phenylethylamine on the Chiralpak AD-H column, while the same phenomenon was not observed with either rac-alpha-tetralol or rac-2-phenylpropionic acid on the Chiralpak AD-H column. Decreasing outlet pressure improved the peak separation obtained with rac-2-phenylpropionic acid, but had little effect on either rac-alpha-tetralol or rac-1-phenylethylamine.

Reversal of elution order for profen acid enantiomers in packed-column SFC on Chiralpak AD

Enantiomeric separations of four 2-substituted propionic acid drugs have been studied using packed-column supercritical fluid chromatography (SFC) with amylose tris(3,5-dimethylphenylcarbamate) coated on silica as support (Chiralpak AD). Under standard conditions (i.e., flow rate, 1.5 ml/min; column temperature, 30 degrees C; back-pressure, 150 bar), the order of elution could be reversed when the polar alcohol modifier methanol in carbon dioxide was replaced by 2-propanol for ibuprofen, ketoprofen, and naproxen. For flurbiprofen, with the highest selectivity factor, no reversal was observed, although selectivity was reduced significantly with higher alcohols. Naproxen and flurbiprofen were also investigated with 2-butanol and 2-pentanol. The former showed reversal of elution order but not the latter. For higher alcohol modifiers, including 2-propanol, the peak symmetry was poor but could be improved by addition of citric acid in the alcohol modifier. These results stress the importance to investigate enantiomer elution order during the development of enantioselective methods and when chromatographic conditions are optimized. Preliminary experiments with column temperatures over the range of -15 to 45 degrees C revealed that, in a few cases, reversal took place with a change in temperature only.

Chiral separation of omeprazole and several related benzimidazoles using supercritical fluid chromatography

A study of the enantiomeric separation of omeprazole and several related benzimidazoles, using supercritical fluid chromatography (SFC), on the amylose based column Chiralpak AD is presented in this work. The effect of the organic modifier as well as temperature on the retention and enantioresolution was investigated. Alcohol-type modifiers provided the best results, allowing the enantiomeric separation of all the compounds studied with resolutions that were in most cases higher than 2, and analysis times lower than 10 minutes. An investigation of the temperature effect revealed that the isoelution temperature was below the working temperature range in only two cases, and hence it was better to work at the highest temperature permitted.