Chiral Separation Through Inclusion Compounds

Many types of chiral stationary phase are available. Pirkle columns contain a silica support with bonded aminopropyl groups used to bind a derivative of D-phenyl-glycine. These phases are relatively unstable and the selectivity coefficient is close to one. More recently, chiral separations have been performed on optically active resins or cyclodextrins (oligosaccharides) bonded to silica gel through a small hydrocarbon chain linker (Fig. 3.11). These cyclodextrins possess an internal cavity that is hydro-phobic while the external part is hydrophilic. These molecules allow the selective inclusion of a great variety of compounds that can form diastereoisomers at the surface of the chiral phase leading to reversible complexes. 

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