Enantiomeric separation by capillary electrophoresis using a crown ether as chiral selector

This paper reviews chiral separations of primary amines by capillary electrophoresis and crown ether as chiral selector. Two possible mechanisms of chiral recognition by host-guest complexation are discussed: (i) The substituents of the crown ether act as barriers for the guest compounds, and (ii) lateral electrostatic interactions between host and guest occur. Experimental conditions affecting the separation are discussed in detail. A literature overview of practical applications is presented as well. More than 80 different primary amines were analyzed, whereupon the majority could be resolved using a screening method. It is shown that a synergistic effect on the resolution of chiral amines is observed when the chiral crown ether and cyclodextrins are simultaneously used in the same buffer system. This approach opens interesting perspectives for further method optimization.