Chiral microemulsion electrokinetic chromatography with two chiral components: Improved separations via synergies...

In this study, the combination of two chiral components in a microemulsion formulation for the separation of enantiomers via microemulsion EKC (MEEKC) was successfully accomplished. Previous publications of chiral microemulsions have utilized only one chiral entity; the surfactant, cosurfactant, or oil was chiral. This is the first study, to date, of the effects of using two chiral species in a single pseudostationary phase (PSP). The chiral surfactant dodecoxycarbonylvaline (DDCV) was used in conjunction with the chiral cosurfactant S-2-hexanol. Ethyl acetate was incorporated as the oil core of the microemulsion and the buffer was 50 mM phosphate at a pH of 7. Additionally, a microemulsion prepared with racemic 2-hexanol was used for comparison to a previous DDCV microemulsion and as a baseline for the newly formulated dual chiral microemulsion. The efficiencies, resolutions, and enantioselectivities for the S-2-hexanol, racemic 2-hexanol, and original 1-butanol DDCV microemulsions are compared. The hexanol-based PSPs provide improved efficiencies and resolutions. To evaluate the combination of each DDCV enantiomer (R and S) with S-2-hexanol, changes in Gibb's free energy were calculated. A synergistic effect was found when two chiral components were combined to form a microemulsion.