Chiral separations of pharmaceuticals using capillary electrochromatography (CEC): an overview

Area of Science:

• Analytical Chemistry
• Separation Science

Background:

• Enantiomers of bioactive molecules exhibit distinct pharmacological properties, necessitating effective separation methods.
• Capillary electrochromatography (CEC) is an emerging hybrid technique merging High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) and Capillary Electrophoresis (CE).

Purpose of the Study:

• To provide an overview of resolution mechanisms in CEC for chiral separations.
• To discuss parameters influencing chiral separation selectivity in CEC.
• To present current pharmaceutical applications of CEC in chiral separations.

Main Methods:

• Review of common CEC resolution mechanisms.
• Analysis of parameters affecting chiral separation selectivity.
• Compilation of current pharmaceutical applications of CEC.

Main Results:

• Discussion of various CEC resolution mechanisms and their impact on chiral selectivity.
• Identification of key parameters that influence the selectivity of chiral separations using CEC.
• Presentation of diverse pharmaceutical applications showcasing CEC's utility in separating enantiomers.

Conclusions:

• CEC is a promising technique for chiral separations with significant potential in pharmaceutical analysis.
• Understanding resolution mechanisms and optimizing parameters are key to maximizing CEC's selectivity.
• CEC offers distinct advantages for enantiomeric separation, despite certain limitations.