Liquid Chromatographic Resolution of Racemic α-Hydroxycarboxylic Acids on Ligand Exchange Chiral Stationary Phases

Two ligand exchange chiral stationary phases (CSPs) based on (S)-leucinol derivative, sodium N-((S)-1-hydroxymethyl-3-methylbutyl)-N-undecylaminoacetate, and (R)-phenylglycinol derivative, sodium N-((R)-2-hydroxy-1-phenylethyl)-N-undecylaminoacetate, covalently bonded to silica gel have been successfully applied in the resolution of nine α-hydroxycarboxylic acids. The latter was more effective than the former, the separation factors (α) being 1.05 to 2.12 while the resolution factors (RS) varying from 0.18 to 5.29 on the latter. The chromatographic resolution behaviors were dependent on the type and the content of organic modifier and the content of CuSO4 in aqueous mobile phase and the column temperature. A possible chiral recognition mechanism was also proposed based on the chromatographic resolution behaviors.