Chiral selectors principles

Liquid-liquid extraction is a basic process already applied as a large-scale method. Usually, it does not require highly sophisticated devices, being very attractive for the preparative-scale separation of enantiomers. In this case, a chiral selector must be added to one of the liquid phases. This principle is common to some of the separation techniques described previously, such as CCC, CPC or supported-liquid membranes. In all of these, partition of the enantiomers of a mixture takes place thanks to their different affinity for the chiral additive in a given system of solvents. 

In most cases, the chiral selector is simply added to the BGE. " Interactions between the analytes and the chiral selector will determine the stability of the diastereomeric complexes formed. The interactions involved in the chiral recognition process in CE are hydrophobic, electrostatic, Van der Waals and hydrogen bond-type interactions. Several reviews discuss the principles of electrophoretic chiral separations. 

The existence of the aforementioned difference between the mobilities of transient diastereomeric complexes of the enantiomers with the chiral selector may have some important consequences in chiral CE. For instance, the enantioseparation can, in principle, be possible even in those cases when the binding constants of both enantiomers to a given chiral selector are the same. On the other hand, this may allow, in certain cases, observation of the reversal of the enantiomer migration order, depending on the concentration of the chiral selector (17). 

Based on preliminary results from Helfferich130, further developments by Davankov and co-workers5 131 133 turned the principle of chelation into a powerful chiral chromatographic method by the introduction of chiral-complex-forming synlhetie resins. The technique is based on the reversible chelate complex formation of the chiral selector and the selectand (analyte) molecules with transient metal cations. The technical term is chiral ligand exchange chromatography (CLEC) reliable and complete LC separation of enantiomers of free a-amino acids and other classes of chiral compounds was made as early as 1968 131. 

In contrast to the various CSPs mentioned so far, but still based on covalently or at least very strongly adsorbed chiral selectors (from macromolecules to small molecules) to, usually, a silica surface, the principle of dynamically coating an achiral premodified silica to CSPs via chiral mobile phase additives (CMPA) has successfully been adapted for enantioseparation. The so-called reverse phase LC systems have predominantly been used, however, ion-pairing methods using nonaqueous mobile phases are also possible. 

The overall observed retention of the enantiomers, and thus the elution order, is based on several kinetically and thermodynamically controlled parameters concerned with stereorecognition nonstereoselective interactions of all partners SO(R), SA(R S), and particularly of the [SO(RI-SA(KI] and [SO(K)-SA(Si] complexes with the achiral stationary phase, also play a role (Figure 21). Therefore the retention order may be reversed for a specific pair of enantiomers depending on whether a covalently bound CSP or a CMPA is applied, but using the same chiral molecule (part) as chiral selector. These general principles, shown schematically for a CLEC system, are further complicated by the complexity of the entire system, hence they are difficult to anticipate and each case must be studied individually. 

Principle Chiral selector Binding of substrate Solid phase... 

Principle Chiral selector (example) Ref. Mobile phase Substrate (example)... 

The notion of reciprocity in chiral recognition has played an important role in the design of chiral selectors. In principle, if a single molecule of a chiral selector has different affinities for the enantiomers of another substance, then a single enantiomer of the latter will have different affinities for the enantiomers of the initial selector. In an effort to design a chiral stationary phase capable of separating naproxen, Pirkle et al. [97] first designed two stationary phases in which the carboxyl function of naproxen was linked to a silica matrix... 

The use of CDs for chiral separations has, to date, been the most common approach when using CE or MEKC, so it would be difficult to discuss and detail every aspect relating to their chemistry, effects on separation, and application in this held. The emphasis will, thus, be placed on a short description of the principle and mechanism of chiral separation, typical method development procedures, and an outline of the influential experimental parameters using CE and MEKC. References to recent published review and research literature will enable the reader to explore this vast area further. It is also beyond the scope of this short introductory review to actually outline the actual CE or MEKC separation principles in detail, but an in-depth discussion can be found in this encyclopedia and references to recent textbooks and can be readily found elsewhere. It must, of course, be pointed out that CDs are not the only useful chiral selectors that can be employed using electrophoretic techniques. The use of chiral surfactants (bile salts), crown ethers, metal-chelation agents, carbohydrates, proteins, and glycopeptides have all been used effectively [2]. 

The first applications of CDs as chiral selectors in CE were reported in capillary isotachophoresis (CITP) [2] and capillary gel electrophoresis (CGE) [3]. Soon thereafter, Fanali described the application of CDs as chiral selectors in free-solution CE [4] and Terabe used the charged CD derivative for enantioseparations in the capillary electrokinetic chromatography (CEKC) mode [5]. It seems important to note that although the experiment in the CITP, CGE, CE, and CEKC is different, the enantiomers in all of these techniques are resolved based on the same (chromatographic) principle, which is a stereoselective distribution of enantiomers between two (pseudo) phases with different mobilities. Thus, enantioseparations in CE are commonly based on an electrophoretic migration principle and on a chromatographic separation principle [6]. 

In principle, any chiral compound possessing an ability to interact non-covalently and enantioselectively with chiral molecules may be used more or less successfully as a chiral selector in liquid chromatography. There is a set of characteristics which a chiral selector has to meet, depending on the goal of the separation, the mode, and technique used. 

Many of the chiral stationary phases have been developed by systematically applying the principle of reciprocity to the enantiomer binding interactions. A number of diverse racemates are analyzed on a chiral stationary phase containing as chiral selector the immobilized target molecule for the enantiomers of which a new selector is desired. The racemate showing the highest enantioselectivity in this system is selected, and... 

The most striking difference between these two techniques seems to be the fact that CE allows, in principle, the separation of enantiomers in the case when the equilibrium constants of both enantiomers with the chiral selector are equal [42, 43, 45]. 

Chiral separation or sorption is another important technique in chirotechnology. In fact, due to the high cost of chiral catalysts, industries generally prefer chiral separation over asymmetric catalysis to obtain optically pure compounds. As in asymmetric heterogeneous catalysis, a chiral selector (a chiral molecule in optically pure form) can be immobilized on a solid support to make a chiral stationary phase (CSP) of use in direct chiral separation. The basic principle of chiral separation is that the chiral selector interacts differently with the enantiomers of a racemic or enantioenriched mixture to form transient diastereoisomeric species of different stability, and this fine distinction leads to the separation of enantiomers during elution. This topic has also produced a huge number of papers and the readers are referred to the previous reviews for more knowledge on this field [70-73]. 

A well-organized chiral pore, large enough for a particular guest molecule to access can induce sufficient enantioselection. The chiral bridging ligands of CMOPMs can provide a chiral environment inside the well-organized cavities/ pores, which in principle functions as a chiral selector therefore, they can be considered to possess a built-in chiral selector. Thus in an ideal situation, CMOPMs also have all the qualities to be efficient CSPs for chiral separation processes. 

While the migration principle, i.e., the driving forces moving the analytes through the separation capillary, is based on electrophoretic mechanisms the chiral separation is based on enantioselective interactions between the analyte enantiomers and a chiral selector and is, therefore, a chromatographic separation principle. The fact that the selector is in the same phase as the analytes in CE and not part of a stationary phase that is immiscible with the mobile phase as found in chromatography does not represent a conceptional difference between both techniques. The chiral selector in CE is also called pseudophase as it is not a physically different phase and may also possess an electrophoretic mobility. Enantioseparations in CE have also been termed capillary electrokinetic chromatography . 

---