CAPILLARY-ELECTROPHORESIS WITH ELECTROCHEMICAL DETECTION FOR CHIRAL SEPARATION OF OPTICAL ISOMERS

The enantiomers of two amine derivatives were directly separated by ca pillary electrophoresis (CE), employing beta-cyclodxtrin (beta-CD) as a chiral additive in strongly alkaline solutions. The analytes were de tected by electrochemistry, using a copper disk electrode at +675 mV v s Ag/AgCl reference electrode, Both the free enantiomers and the enant iomer-cyclodxtrin inclusion complexes could be detected using this app roach, although the complexed forms gave lower oxidation currents than the free forms. Factors affecting the chiral CE separation of the ana lytes, such as working, potential, concentration of running buffer and beta-CD, and applied voltage, were externsively investigated. Under t he optimum conditions, baseline separation of the enantiomers could be accomplished in less than 18 min. In addition, a successful applicati on of the method to the enantiomeric purity determination confirmed it s validity and practicability.