Enantiomeric separation of precursors of rho-kinase inhibitors by HPLC on polysaccharide-based chiral stationary phases

The separation of enantiomers of substituted cyclohexanecarboxamides, benzamides and chemical precursors of Rho-kinase inhibitors was achieved using derivatized polysaccharide-based chiral stationary phases. Separations were by normal phase HPLC with a mobile phase ofn-hexane-alcohol (methanol, ethanol or 2-propanol) in various proportions, and a silica-based cellulose tris-3,5-dimethylphenylcarbamate (Chiralcel OD-H), tris-methylbenzoate (Chiralcel OJ), a silica-based amylose tris-(S)-1-phenylethylcarbamate (Chiralpak AS), or tris-3,5-dimethylphenylcarbamate (Chiralpak AD). The effects of cencentration of various aliphatic alcohols in the mobile phase were investigated. The effect of structural features on the discrimination between the enantiomers was examined. The isolation of milligram amounts of enantiomers of two derivatives was performed on an analytical column by multiple repetitive injections under overload conditions.