Chiral Chromatography / Enantiomers

The separation of drug enantiomers using chiral HPLC columns is the most popular method of analyzing drugs containing one or more chiral centers. The pharmacological and therapeutic effects of the enantiomers can differ largely. Chiral chromatography is useful for determining the enantiomeric purity of the drugs on analytical columns or for isolating enantiomers on preparative columns. Methods development includes screening chiral compounds and potential impurities on analytical columns with numerous chiral phases.

In a validated environment, column selectors can be used for column to column reproducibility, method ruggedness, cross method conformational purity analysis on columns with different selectivity, sample long-term stability, solute specificity, column equilibration, and column quality control. Automated chiral chromatography using column selection can dramatically cut time, while improving analytical results and throughput.

Selectivity and resolution are important factors in chiral chromatography. Using different mobile phases and additives to enhance chiral separation improves selectivity dramatically. Retention and enantioselectivity regulation can be varied by changes in pH, buffer concentration, organic modifier nature, concentration, and different particle sizes. Column to column reproducibility is also desirable. Preparative scale isolation of chiral analytes can be achieved on larger diameter columns.