Enantiomeric Separation of Chiral Triazole Pesticides by a mono-6-(4-Nitrophenyl)-ureido-β-cyclodextrin-Bonded Stationary Phase Using High-Performance Liquid Chromatography

Recent advances in chiral selectors immobilization and chiral mobile phase additives in liquid chromatographic enantio-separations: A review

For decades now, the separation of chiral enantiomers of drugs has been gaining the interest and attention of researchers. In 1991, the first guidelines for development of chiral drugs were firstly released by the US-FDA. Since then, the development in chromatographic enantioseparation tools has been fast and variable, aiming at creating a suitable environment where the physically and chemically identical enantiomers can be separated. Among those tools, the immobilization of chiral selectors (CS) on different stationary phases and the chiral mobile phase additives (CMPA) which have been progressed and studied extensively. This review article highlights the major advances in immobilization of CS together with their different recognition mechanisms as well as CMPA as a cheaper and successful alternative for chiral stationary phases. Moreover, the role of molecular modeling tool as a pre-step in the choice of CS for evaluating possible interactions with different ligands has been pointed up. Illustrations of reported methods and updates for immobilized CS and CMPA have been included.

Preparation of a novel bridged bis(β-cyclodextrin) chiral stationary phase by thiol-ene click chemistry for enhanced enantioseparation in HPLC

A bridged bis(β-cyclodextrin) ligand was firstly synthesized via a thiol–ene click chemistry reaction between allyl-ureido-β-cyclodextrin and 4-4′-thiobisthiophenol, which was then bonded onto a 5 μm spherical silica gel to obtain a novel bridged bis(β-cyclodextrin) chiral stationary phase (HTCDP). The structures of HTCDP and the bridged bis(β-cyclodextrin) ligand were characterized by the ¹H nuclear magnetic resonance (¹H NMR), solid state ¹³C nuclear magnetic resonance (¹³C NMR) spectra spectrum, scanning electron microscope, elemental analysis, mass spectrometry, infrared spectrometry and thermogravimetric analysis. The performance of HTCDP in enantioseparation was systematically examined by separating 21 chiral compounds, including 8 flavanones, 8 triazole pesticides and 5 other common chiral drugs (benzoin, praziquantel, 1-1′-bi-2-naphthol, Tröger's base and bicalutamide) in the reversed-phase chromatographic mode. By optimizing the chromatographic conditions such as formic acid content, mobile phase composition, pH values and column temperature, 19 analytes were completely separated with high resolution (1.50–4.48), in which the enantiomeric resolution of silymarin, 4-hydroxyflavanone, 2-hydroxyflavanone and flavanone were up to 4.34, 4.48, 3.89 and 3.06 within 35 min, respectively. Compared to the native β-CD chiral stationary phase (CDCSP), HTCDP had superior enantiomer separation and chiral recognition abilities. For example, HTCDP completely separated 5 other common chiral drugs, 2 flavanones and 3 triazole pesticides that CDCSP failed to separate. Unlike CDCSP, which has a small cavity (0.65 nm), the two cavities in HTCDP joined by the aryl connector could synergistically accommodate relatively bulky chiral analytes. Thus, HTCDP may have a broader prospect in enantiomeric separation, analysis and detection.

Separation of chiral compounds on HTCDP.

Recent progress in the development of chiral stationary phases for high-performance liquid chromatography

Separations and analyses of chiral compounds are important in many fields, including pharmaceutical production, preparation of chemical intermediates, and biochemistry. High-performance liquid chromatography using a chiral stationary phase is regarded as one of the most valuable methods for enantiomeric separation and analysis because it is highly efficient, is broadly applicable, and has powerful separation capability. The focus for development of this method is the identification of novel chiral stationary phases with superior recognition performance and good stability. The present article reviews recent progress in the development of new chiral stationary phases for high-performance liquid chromatography between January 2018 and June 2021. These newly reported chiral stationary phases are divided into three categories: small organic molecule-based (cyclodextrin and its derivatives, macrocyclic antibiotics, cinchona alkaloids, and other low molecular weight chiral molecules), macromolecule-based (cellulose and amylose derivatives, chitin and chitosan derivatives, and synthetic helical polymers) and chiral porous material-based (chiral metal-organic frameworks, chiral covalent organic frameworks, and chiral inorganic mesoporous silicas). Each type of chiral stationary phase is discussed in detail.

Strategies for Preparation of Chiral Stationary Phases: Progress on Coating and Immobilization Methods

Enantioselective chromatography is one of the most used techniques for the separation and purification of enantiomers. The most important issue for a specific successful enantioseparation is the selection of the suitable chiral stationary phase (CSP). Different synthetic approaches have been applied for the preparation of CSPs, which embrace coating and immobilization methods. In addition to the classical and broadly applied coating and immobilization procedures, innovating strategies have been introduced recently. In this review, an overview of different methods for the preparation of coated and immobilized CSPs is described. Updated examples of CSPs associated with the various strategies are presented. Considering that after the preparation of a CSP its characterization is fundamental, the methods used for the characterization of all the described CSPs are emphasized.

Noncovalent Complexes of Cyclodextrin with Small Organic Molecules: Applications and Insights into Host-Guest Interactions in the Gas Phase and Condensed Phase

Cyclodextrins (CDs) have drawn a lot of attention from the scientific communities as a model system for host–guest chemistry and also due to its variety of applications in the pharmaceutical, cosmetic, food, textile, separation science, and essential oil industries. The formation of the inclusion complexes enables these applications in the condensed phases, which have been confirmed by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, X-ray crystallography, and other methodologies. The advent of soft ionization techniques that can transfer the solution-phase noncovalent complexes to the gas phase has allowed for extensive examination of these complexes and provides valuable insight into the principles governing the formation of gaseous noncovalent complexes. As for the CDs’ host–guest chemistry in the gas phase, there has been a controversial issue as to whether noncovalent complexes are inclusion conformers reflecting the solution-phase structure of the complex or not. In this review, the basic principles governing CD’s host–guest complex formation will be described. Applications and structures of CDs in the condensed phases will also be presented. More importantly, the experimental and theoretical evidence supporting the two opposing views for the CD–guest structures in the gas phase will be intensively reviewed. These include data obtained via mass spectrometry, ion mobility measurements, infrared multiphoton dissociation (IRMPD) spectroscopy, and density functional theory (DFT) calculations.