Laser-based polarimetry, particularly in dual-detector combinations wi
th ultraviolet absorbance or refractive index detection, offers signif
icant advantages in high-performance liquid chromatography or flow-inj
ection assays of chiral molecules. Methods eliminating the need for de
rivatisation and other pretreatment steps have been applied to quality
control, enantiomeric purity determination and on-line measurement of
specific rotation for a variety of agrochemicals, cyclodextrins and p
harmaceuticals.