Liquid chromatographic resolution of mexiletine and its analogs on crown ether-based chiral stationary phases

Mexiletine, an effective class IB antiarrhythmic agent, and its analogs were resolved on three different crown ether-based chiral stationary phases (CSPs), one (CSP 1) of which is based on (+)-(18-crown-6)-2,3,11,12-tetracarboxylic acid and the other two (CSP 2 and CSP 3) are based on (3,3'-diphenyl-1,1'-binaphthyl)-20-crown-6. Mexiletine was resolved with a resolution (R(S)) of greater than 1.00 on CSP 1 and CSP 3 containing residual silanol group-protecting n-octyl groups on the silica surface, but with a resolution (R(S)) of less than 1.00 on CSP 2. The chromatographic behaviors for the resolution of mexiletine analogs containing a substituted phenyl group at the chiral center on the three CSPs were quite dependent on the phenoxy group of analytes. Namely, mexiletine analogs containing 2,6-dimethylphenoxy, 3,4-dimethylphenoxy, 3-methylphenoxy, 4-methylphenoxy, and a simple phenoxy group were resolved very well on the three CSPs even though the chiral recognition efficiencies vary with the CSPs. However, mexiletine analogs containing 2-methylphenoxy group were not resolved at all or only slightly resolved. Among the three CSPs, CSP 3 was found to show the highest chiral recognition efficiencies for the resolution of mexiletine and its analogs, especially in terms of resolution (R(S)).