ENANTIOSELECTIVE SEPARATIONS USING CAPILLARY ELECTROPHORESIS

The preconditions are outlined for enantioselective separations in cap illary electrophoresis (CE) with chiral selectors as additives to the background electrolyte. Free solution capillary electrophoresis condit ions are characterised by a single solution phase. Chiral separations are reviewed by selector type (chiral ligand exchange, cyclodextrins, crown ethers, glycoproteins) with the extensive studies on cyclodextri ns grouped into sections on amino acids, pharmaceuticals, and speciali ty chemicals, optimisation, biological fluids, and quantitative aspect s. In micellar electrokinetic capillary chromatography, enantioselecti ve discrimination occurs by partition in a two-phase system, with a ch iral micellar phase as selector. Optimum separation conditions can be readily predicted for a given selector-selectand combination, and abso lute values of binding constants determined by CE. Advantages of CE in comparison with HPLC using a chiral stationary phase include robust, rapid assays and the use of small volumes of aqueous solutions; disadv antages include less favourable detection limits. (C) 1994 Wiley-Liss, Inc.