Chiral Stationary Phases for High Performance Liquid Chromatographic Separation of Enantiomers: A Mini-Review

Abstract

There has been a proliferation of papers on the use of chiral stationary phases (CSP's) to separate optical isomers in high performance liquid chromatography. The chemistry, mechanism and stability of these CSP's can vary widely. Furthermore, the applicability, availability and cost of a CSP can mean the difference between its being of passing academic interest as opposed to a technique that could have a significant impact on science and technology. Six different classes of chiral stationary phases are examined and discussed including the new chiral cyclodextrin bonded phases. The separation mechanism, strengths and limitations of the CSP's are also considered whenever such information is available.