Room temperature synthesis of a chiral covalent organic framework core-shell composite for high-performance liquid chromatography enantioseparation.

In this article, chiral covalent organic framework core-shell composite CCOF-TpPa-Py@SiO2 was facilely synthesized by induction at room temperature. The CCOF-TpPa-Py@SiO2 core-shell composite was used as a chiral stationary phase for the separation of the racemates by high-performance liquid chromatography, which exhibits good separation performance for chiral compounds including ketones, alcohols, esters, epoxides, carboxylic acids, amides, and amines. The effects of analyte injection mass on the enantioseparation were studied. The reproducibility and stability of the CCOF-TpPa-Py@SiO2 chiral column were explored. The intra-day (n = 5), inter-day (n = 5), and inter-column (n = 3) relative standard deviations for the migration times and resolution of benzoin were 0.32%-0.54%, 0.45%-0.61%, and 1.21%-1.53%, respectively. In addition, the chiral separation ability of the CCOF-TpPa-Py@SiO2 chiral column (column A) was compared with that of the MDI-ß-CD-Modified COF@SiO2 (column B) as well as a commercial chiral column (Chiralpak AD-H). The chiral recognition ability of column A is complementary to that of column B and AD-H column. The resolution mechanism of CCOF-TpPa-Py@SiO2 stationary phase towards chiral analyte was explored. Hence, the synthesis of CCOF-TpPa-Py@SiO2 core-shell composite by induction at room temperature as chiral stationary phases for chromatographic separation has important research potential and application prospects.

Chiral-induced synthesis of chiral covalent organic frameworks core-shell microspheres for HPLC enantioseparation.

Two chiral covalent organic frameworks (CCOFs) core-shell microspheres based on achiral organic precursors by chiral-induced synthesis strategy for HPLC enantioseparation are reported for the first time. Using n-hexane/isopropanol as mobile phase, various kinds of racemates were selected as analytes and separated on the CCOF-TpPa-1@SiO2 and CCOF-TpBD@SiO2-packed columns with a low column backpressure (3 ~ 9 bar). The fabricated two CCOFs@SiO2 chiral columns exhibited good separation performance towards various racemates with high column efficiency (e.g., 19,500 plates m-1 for (4-fluorophenyl)ethanol and 18,900 plates m-1 for 1-(4-chlorophenyl)ethanol) and good reproducibility. Some effects have been investigated such as the analyte mass and column temperature on the HPLC enantioseparation. Moreover, the chiral separation results of the CCOF-TpPa-1@SiO2 chiral column and the commercialized Chiralpak AD-H column show a good complementarity. This study demonstrates that the usage of chiral-induced synthesis strategy for preparing CCOFs core-shell microspheres as a novel stationary phase has a good application potential in HPLC.

Asymmetric catalytic synthesis of chiral covalent organic framework composite (S)-DTP-COF@SiO2 for HPLC enantioseparations by normal-phase and reversed-phase chromatographic modes.

A novel CCOF core-shell composite material (S)-DTP-COF@SiO2 was prepared via asymmetric catalytic and in situ growth strategy. The prepared (S)-DTP-COF@SiO2 was utilized as separation medium for HPLC enantioseparation using normal-phase and reversed-phase chromatographic modes, which displays excellent chiral separation performance for alcohols, esters, ketones, and epoxides, etc. Compared with chiral commercial chromatographic columns (Chiralpak AD-H and Chiralcel OD-H columns) and some previously reported chiral CCOF@SiO2 (CC-MP CCTF@SiO2 and MDI-ß-CD-modified COF@SiO2)-packed columns, there are 4, 3, 13, and 15 tested racemic compounds that could not be resolved on the Chiralpak AD-H column, Chiralcel OD-H column, CC-MP CCTF@SiO2 column, and MDI-ß-CD-modified COF@SiO2 column, respectively, which indicates that the resolution effect of (S)-DTP-COF@SiO2-packed column can be complementary to the other ones. The effects of the analyte mass, column temperature, and mobile phase composition on the enantiomeric separation were investigated. The chiral column exhibits good reproducibility after multiple consecutive injections. The RSDs (n = 5) of the peak area and retention time were less than 1.5% for repetitive separation of 2-methoxy-2-phenylethanol and 1-phenyl-1-pentanol. The chiral core-shell composite (S)-DTP-COF@SiO2 exhibited good enantiomeric separation performance, which not only demonstrates its potential as a novel CSP material in HPLC but also expands the range of applications for chiral COFs.

Homochiral Metallacycle Used as a Stationary Phase for Capillary Gas Chromatographic Separation of Chiral and Achiral Compounds.

Metallacycles are a novel class of supramolecular materials with circular structures, internal cavities, and abundant host-guest chemical properties that have exhibited good application prospects in many fields. However, to the best of our knowledge, no research on the use of metallacycles as stationary phases for gas chromatographic (GC) separations has been published yet. In this work, we report for the first time the use of a homochiral metallacycle, [ZnCl2L]2, as a stationary phase for GC separations. [ZnCl2L]2 was synthesized by reaction of (S)-(1-isonicotinoylpyrrolidin-2-yl)methyl-isonicotinate (L) with ZnCl2 via coordination-driven self-assembly. The [ZnCl2L]2-coated column displayed an excellent separation performance not only of organic isomers but also of racemic compounds. Sixteen racemates (including alcohols, esters, amino acid derivatives, ethers, organic acids, and epoxides) and 21 isomeric compounds (including positional, structural, and cis/trans-isomers) were well separated on the [ZnCl2L]2-coated column. Impressively, some racemates were resolved with high resolution values (Rs), including 1,2-butanediol diacetate (Rs = 25.86), ethyl 3-hydroxybutyrate (Rs = 20.97), 1,3-butanediol diacetate (Rs = 18.09), and threonine derivative (Rs = 18.61). Compared with the commercial ß-DEX 120 column for separation of the tested racemates, the [ZnCl2L]2-coated column exhibited good enantioseparation complementarity, enabling separation of some racemates that could not be separated, or were not well resolved, by the ß-DEX 120 column. In addition, many organic mixtures, such as n-alkanes, alkylbenzenes, n-alcohols, and a Grob test mixture, were also well separated on the [ZnCl2L]2-coated column. The column also has good reproducibility and thermal stability on separation. This work not only reveals the great potential of metallacycles for GC separations but also opens up a new application of metallacycles in separation science.

A novel pillar[3]trianglimine macrocycle with a deep cavity used as a chiral selector to prepare a chiral stationary phase by thiol-ene click reaction for enantioseparation in high-performance liquid chromatography.

A chiral pillar[3]trianglimine (C60 H72 N6 O6 ) with a deep cavity has been developed as a chiral selector and bonded to thiolated silica by thiol-ene click reaction to fabricate a novel chiral stationary phase for enantioseparation in high-performance liquid chromatography. The enantioseparation performance of the fabricated chiral stationary phase has been evaluated by separating various racemic compounds, including alcohols, esters, amines, ketones, amino acids, and epoxides, in both normal-phase and reversed-phase elution modes. In total, 14 and 17 racemates have been effectively separated in these two separation modes, respectively. In comparison with two widely used chiral columns (Chiralcel OD-H and Chiralpak AD-H), our novel chiral stationary phase offered good chiral separation complementarity, separating some of the tested racemates that could not be separated or were only partially separated on these two commercial columns. The influences of analyte mass, mobile phase composition, and column temperature on chiral separation have been investigated. Good repeatability, stability, and column-to-column reproducibility of the chiral stationary phase for enantioseparation have been observed. After the fabricated column had been eluted up to 400 times, the relative standard deviations (n = 5) of resolution (Rs) and retention time of the separated analytes were < 0.39% and < 0.20%, respectively. The relative standard deviations (n = 3) of Rs and retention time for column-to-column reproducibility were < 4.6% and < 5.2%, respectively. This study demonstrated that the new chiral stationary phase has great prospects for chiral separation in high-performance liquid chromatography.

In situ growth preparation of a new chiral covalent triazine framework core-shell microspheres used for HPLC enantioseparation.

The manufacturing of chiral covalent triazine framework core-shell microspheres CC-MP CCTF@SiO2 composite is reported as stationary phase for HPLC enantioseparation. The CC-MP CCTF@SiO2 core-shell microspheres were prepared by immobilizing chiral COF CC-MP CCTF constructed using cyanuric chloride and (S)-2-methylpiperazine on the surface of activated SiO2 through an in-situ growth approach. Various racemates as analytes were separated on the CC-MP CCTF@SiO2-packed column. The experimental results indicate that 19 pairs of enantiomers were well separated on the CC-MP CCTF@SiO2-packed column, including alcohols, phenols, amines, ketones, and organic acids. Among them, there are 17 pairs of enantiomers that can achieve baseline separation with good peak shapes. Their resolution values on this chiral column are between 0.4 and 5.61. The influences of analyte mass, column temperature, and composition of the mobile phase on the resolution of enantiomers were studied. In addition, the chiral resolution ability of CC-MP CCTF@SiO2-packed column was compared with the commercial chiral chromatographic columns (Chiralpak AD-H and Chiralcel OD-H columns) and some CCOF@SiO2 chiral columns (ß-CD-COF@SiO2, CTpBD@SiO2, and MDI-ß-CD-modified COF@SiO2). The CC-MP CCTF@SiO2-packed column exhibited some unique advantages and can complement these chiral columns in chiral separations. The research results show that the CC-MP CCTF@SiO2 chiral column offered high column efficiency (e.g., 17680 plates m-1 for ethyl mandelate), low column backpressure (5-9 bar), high enantioselectivity, and excellent chiral resolution ability for HPLC enantioseparation with good stability and reproducibility. The relative standard deviations (RSD) (n = 5) of the retention time, and peak areas by repeated separation of ethyl mandelate are 0.23% and 0.67%, respectively. It demonstrates that the CC-MP CCTF@SiO2 core-shell microsphere composite has great potential in enantiomeric separation by HPLC.

Preparation of Chiral Porous Organic Cage Clicked Chiral Stationary Phase for HPLC Enantioseparation.

Porous organic cages (POCs) are a new subclass of porous materials, which are constructed from discrete cage molecules with permanent cavities via weak intermolecular forces. In this study, a novel chiral stationary phase (CSP) has been prepared by chemically binding a [4 + 6]-type chiral POC (C120H96N12O4) with thiol-functionalized silica gel using a thiol-ene click reaction and applied to HPLC separations. The column packed with this CSP presented good separation capability for chiral compounds and positional isomers. Thirteen racemates have been enantioseparated on this column, including alcohols, diols, ketones, amines, epoxides, and organic acids. Upon comparison with a previously reported chiral POC NC1-R-based column, commercial Chiralpak AD-H, and Chiralcel OD-H columns, this column is complementary to these three columns in terms of its enantiomeric separation; and can also separate some racemic compounds that cannot be separated by the three columns. In addition, eight positional isomers (iodoaniline, bromoaniline, chloroaniline, dibromobenzene, dichlorobenzene, toluidine, nitrobromobenzene, and nitroaniline) have also been separated. The influences of the injection weight and column temperature on separation have been explored. After the column has undergone multiple injections, the relative standard deviations (RSDs) for the retention time and selectivity were below 1.0 and 1.5%, respectively, indicating the good reproducibility and stability of the column for separation. This work demonstrates that POCs are promising materials for HPLC separation.

Preparation of Novel Chiral Stationary Phases Based on the Chiral Porous Organic Cage by Thiol-ene Click Chemistry for Enantioseparation in HPLC.

Porous organic cages (POCs) are an emerging class of porous materials that have aroused considerable research interest because of their unique characteristics, including good solubility and a well-defined intrinsic cavity. However, there have so far been no reports of chiral POCs as chiral stationary phases (CSPs) for enantioseparation by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Herein, we report the first immobilization of a chiral POC, NC1-R, on thiol-functionalized silica using a mild thiol-ene click reaction to prepare novel CSPs for HPLC. Two CSPs (CSP-1 and CSP-2) with different spacers have been prepared. CSP-1, with a cationic imidazolium spacer, exhibited excellent enantioselectivity for the resolution of various racemates. Twenty-three and 12 racemic compounds or chiral drugs were well enantioseparated on the CSP-1-packed column under normal-phase and reversed-phase conditions, respectively, including alcohols, diols, esters, ethers, ketones, epoxides, organic acids, and amines. In contrast, chiral resolution using CSP-2 (without a cationic imidazolium spacer)-packed column B was inferior to that of column A, demonstrating the important role of the cationic imidazolium spacer for chiral separation. The chiral separation capability of column A was also compared with that of two most popular commercial chiral columns, Chiralpak AD-H and Chiralcel OD-H, which exhibits good chiral recognition complementarity with the two commercial chiral columns. In addition, five positional isomers dinitrobenzene, nitroaniline, chloroaniline, bromoaniline, and iodoaniline were also well separated on column A. The effects of temperature, mobile phase composition, and injected analyte mass for separation on column A were investigated. Column A also showed good stability and reproducibility after repeated injections. This work demonstrates that chiral POCs are promising chiral materials for HPLC enantioseparation.

Superficial chiral etching on an achiral metal-organic framework for high-performance liquid chromatography enantioseparations.

Chiral metal-organic frameworks have shown great potential in enantioselective separation and asymmetric catalysis due to their diverse and adjustable structures with abundant chiral recognition sites. Herein, a new chiral post-synthetic modification was used for preparing an achiral@chiral metal-organic frameworks core-shell composite [Cu3 (Btc)2 ]@[Cu2 ((+)-Cam)2 Dabco] by a superficial chiral etching method. The [Cu3 (Btc)2 ]@[Cu2 ((+)-Cam)2 Dabco] composite was utilized as a novel chiral stationary phase for HPLC enantioseparation. Various racemates were separated on the [Cu3 (Btc)2 ]@[Cu2 ((+)-Cam)2 Dabco]-packed column (column A). It exhibited good chiral resolving ability toward many different kinds of racemates, especially chiral drugs. Among them, the highest resolution value for 1,2-diphenyl-1,2-ethanediol reaches 2.70. The relative standard deviations of retention time and peak area for repeated separation of 1,2-diphenyl-1,2-ethanol were 0.45% and 0.81%, respectively. Compared with the resolution ability of [Cu2 ((+)-Cam)2 Dabco]-packed column (column B), column A shows higher column efficiency and better separation performance than those of column B. The results indicated that the [Cu3 (Btc)2 ]@[Cu2 ((+)-Cam)2 Dabco] as a stationary phase can greatly improve the column efficiency and chiral resolution ability of chiral metal-organic frameworks, which demonstrated that the superficial chiral etching as an economic and efficient strategy opens up a new way for the application of metal-organic frameworks.

A chiral porous organic polymer COP-1 used as stationary phase for HPLC enantioseparation under normal-phase and reversed-phase conditions.

A spherical chiral porous organic polymer (POPs) COP-1 is synthesized by the Friedel-Crafts alkylation reaction of Boc-3-(4-biphenyl)-L-alanine (BBLA) and 4,4'-bis(chloromethyl)-1,1'-biphenyl (BCMBP), which was used as a novel chiral stationary phase (CSPs) for mixed-mode high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) enantioseparation. The racemic compounds were resolved in normal-phase liquid chromatography (NPLC) using n-hexane/isopropanol as mobile phase and reversed-phase liquid chromatography (RPLC) using methanol/water as mobile phase. The COP-1-packed column exhibited excellent separation performance toward various racemic compounds including alcohols, amines, ketones, esters, epoxy compounds, organic acids, and amino acids in NPLC and RPLC modes. The effects of analyte mass and column temperature on the separation efficiency of racemic compounds were investigated. In addition, the chiral resolution ability of the COP-1-packed column not only can be complementary in RPLC/NPLC modes but also exhibit a good chiral recognition complementarity with Chiralpak AD-H column and chiral porous organic cage (POC) NC1-R column. The relative standard deviations (RSD) (n = 5) of the retention time, resolution value, and peak area by repeated separation of 1-(4-chiorophenyl)ethanol are all below 3.0%. The COP-1 column shows high column efficiency (e.g., 17,320 plates m-1 for 1-(4-chlorophenyl)ethanol on COP-1 column in NPLC), high enantioselectivity, and good reproducibility toward various racemates. This work demonstrates that chiral POPs microspheres are promising chiral materials for HPLC enantioseparation.

A chiral metal-organic framework core-shell microspheres composite for high-performance liquid chromatography enantioseparation.

The unique features of uniform and adjustable cavities, abundant chiral active sites, and high enantioselectivity make chiral metal-organic frameworks popular as an emerging candidate for enantioselective separation. However, the wide particle size distribution and irregular shape of as-synthesized metal-organic frameworks result in low column efficiency, undesired chromatographic peak shape, and high column backpressure of such metal-organic frameworks packed columns. Herein, we report the fabrication of chiral core-shell microspheres [Cu2 (d-Cam)2 (4,4'-bpy)]n @SiO2 composite for high-performance liquid chromatography enantioseparation to overcome the above-mentioned problems. The [Cu2 (d-Cam)2 (4,4'-bpy)]n @SiO2 packed column gave high-resolution separation of racemates under low column backpressure (10-22 bar), indicating its synergistic effect of the good column packing property of the SiO2 microspheres and the chiral recognition ability of [Cu2 (d-Cam)2 (4,4'-bpy)]n crystals. Thirteen kinds of chiral compounds including alcohols, amines, ketones, epoxides, and organic bases were well separated with good peak shapes and high column efficiency (18200 plates/m for 1-(9-anthryl)-2,2,2-trifluoroethanol) on the [Cu2 (d-Cam)2 (4,4'-bpy)]n @SiO2 packed column. Among them, seven pairs of enantiomers achieved baseline separation and the resolution value for 1-(9-anthryl)-2,2,2-trifluoroethanol reached 11.22. Some effects such as column temperature, and analytes mass on the enantioseparations have been investigated. In addition, the [Cu2 (d-Cam)2 (4,4'-bpy)]n @SiO2 packed column exhibited good stability and repeatability for the separation of chiral compounds. The relative standard deviations for five replicate separations of 1-phenylethanol were less than 1.0, 1.5, 3.0, and 2.0% for the retention time, peak area, number of theoretical plates, and resolution, respectively. The research results demonstrated the development of chiral metal-organic frameworks core-shell microspheres composite provide a promising platform for their practical application in chiral separation fields.

Chiral covalent organic framework core-shell composite CTpBD@SiO2 used as stationary phase for HPLC enantioseparation.

The fascinating framework structures and unique properties of chiral covalent organic frameworks (COFs) make them promising candidates as novel separation medium for high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). However, the irregular morphology, inhomogeneous particle size, and low density of conventional COF particles will lead to a low column efficiency, undesirable chromatographic peak shape, and high column backpressure of such COF-packed columns. In this work, a chiral COF CTpBD was synthesized by the Schiff base reaction between benzidine (BD) and chiral organic monomer CTp obtained through the reaction of 1,3,5-triformylphoroglucinol (Tp) and (+)-diacetyl-L-tartaric anhydride ((+)-Ac-L-Ta). The chiral COF CTpBD was immobilized on the surface of amino functionalized silica (SiO2-NH2) by an in situ growth approach to prepare the chiral COF core-shell microsphere composite CTpBD@SiO2, which was used as a novel chiral stationary phase (CSP) for HPLC enantioseparation. Various kinds of racemates were separated on the CTpBD@SiO2-packed column with a low column backpressure (8-11 bar). Some effects such as the analyte mass and column temperature on the HPLC enantioseparation have been studied in detail. The fabricated CTpBD@SiO2-packed column exhibited high column efficiency (e.g., 16,800 plates m-1 for atenolol), high enantioselectivity, and good reproducibility toward various racemates. The highest resolution value, retention factor, and separation factor reach to 2.11, 2.85, and 3.73, respectively. The relative standard deviations (RSD) of peak area, peak height, half-peak width, and retention time of atenolol were all below 3.0%.

A hydroxyl-functionalized homochiral porous organic cage for gas chromatographic separations.

A hydroxyl-functionalized homochiral porous organic cage (POC) was synthesized and characterized by FTIR, NMR, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), MALDI-TOF-MS, and elemental analysis. The synthesized homochiral POC was used as stationary phase to prepare a capillary gas chromatography (GC) column by a static coating method. The fabricated column shows excellent selectivity not only for the separation of positional isomers but also for the resolution of various racemates. Thirty-nine racemates have been resolved on the column, including alcohols, diols, halohydrocarbons, epoxides, esters, lactones, ketones, ethers, and organic acids. Compared to the commercial ß-DEX 120 column and previously reported chiral POCs (CC3-R, CC9, and CC10)-coated columns, there are 11, 10, 24, and 15 tested racemates that cannot be resolved on ß-DEX 120 column, CC3-R column, CC9 column, and CC10 column, respectively. This reveals that the fabricated column has prominent complementarity or superior separation performance to these columns in enantioseparation. Besides, the fabricated column can achieve some enantioseparations which are not possible using all previously reported chiral POC-based columns. Some positional isomers (xylenes, dichlorobenzenes, dibromobenzenes, nitrochlorobenzenes, and nitrobromobenzenes) were also separated with high-resolution values. The column exhibits good repeatability, reproducibility, and stability. The relative standard deviation (RSD) values of retention times were 0.03-0.18%, 0.11-0.92%, and 2.1-6.6% for run-to-run (n = 5), day-to-day (n = 5), and column-to-column (n = 3), respectively. The experimental results demonstrate the great potential of POCs for practical application in GC. Graphical Abstract A hydroxyl-functionalized homochiral porous organic cage was used as stationary phase for gas chromatography separation of racemates and positional isomers. The resolution of racemates mainly depended on hydrogen bonding, π-interaction, host-guest inclusion, steric fit, etc., while separation of positional isomers by shape-selective guest binding.

An Enantioselective Potentiometric Sensor for 2-Amino-1-Butanol Based on Chiral Porous Organic Cage CC3-R.

Porous organic cages (POCs) have attracted extensive attention due to their unique structures and tremendous application potential in numerous areas. In this study, an enantioselective potentiometric sensor composed of a polyvinyl chloride (PVC) membrane electrode modified with CC3-R POC material was used for the recognition of enantiomers of 2-amino-1-butanol. After optimisation, the developed sensor exhibited enantioselectivity toward S-2-amino-1-butanol ( log K S , R P o t = -0.98) with acceptable sensitivity, and a near-Nernstian response of 25.8 ± 0.3 mV/decade within a pH range of 6.0⁻9.0.

A homochiral porous organic cage with large cavity and pore windows for the efficient gas chromatography separation of enantiomers and positional isomers.

Porous organic cages composed of discrete cage molecules have attracted considerable recent attention as gas adsorption materials and separation media. In this study, we report a homochiral porous organic cage CC5 with a large cavity and pore windows as a novel stationary phase for high-resolution gas chromatographic separations. The capillary column was prepared by a static coating method. A large number of racemic compounds have been resolved on the coated capillary column, including derivatized amino acids, alcohols, alcohol amines, esters, ethers, ketones, and epoxides. It is interesting that the CC5-coated capillary column exhibits significant chiral recognition complementarity to a commercial ß-DEX 120 column and a previously reported homochiral porous organic cage CC3-R-coated column, which could expand the range of the analytes amenable to separation on porous organic cage-based capillary columns. Moreover, the fabricated column also shows excellent selectivity for the separation of positional isomers, including the challenging ethylbenzene and xylene isomers. Experimental results demonstrate an excellent separation performance and stability of the CC5-coated column, making it promising for gas chromatography applications.

Determination of Enantiomeric Excess by Solid-Phase Extraction Using a Chiral Metal-Organic Framework as Sorbent.

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) have recently attracted considerable attention because of their fascinating structures and intriguing potential applications in diverse areas. In this study, we developed a novel method for determination of enantiomeric excess (ee) of (±)-1,1'-bi-2-naphthol by solid-phase extraction (SPE) using a chiral MOF, [Co(l-tyr)]n(l-tyrCo), as sorbent. After optimization of the experimental conditions, a good linear relationship between the ee and the absorbance of the eluate (R² = 0.9984) was obtained and the standard curve was established at the concentration of 3 mmol L-¹. The ee values of (±)-1,1'-bi-2-naphthol samples can be rapidly calculated using the standard curve after determination of the absorbance of the eluate. The method showed good accuracy, with an average error of 2.26%, and is promising for ee analysis.

Homochiral metal-organic frameworks based on amino acid ligands for HPLC separation of enantiomers.

Natural amino acids are well known to form coordination polymers with transition metal ions. In this study, six homochiral metal-organic frameworks constructed from Zn2+ or Co2+ ions and various enantiopure amino acid (L-tyrosine, L-histidine, L-tryptophan and L-glutamic acid), namely [Zn(L-tyr)]n (L-tyrZn), [Zn4 (btc)2 (Hbtc)(L-His)2 (H2 O)4 ]·1.5H2 O, {[Zn2 (L-trp)2 (bpe)2 (H2 O)2 ]·2H2 O·2NO3 }n , [Co2 (L-Trp)(INT)2 (H2 O)2 (ClO4 )], [Co2 (sdba)((L-Trp)2 ] and [Co(L-Glu)(H2 O)·H2 O]∞ , were synthesized according to the methods previously reported in the literature. The six homochiral MOFs were explored as the chiral stationary phases for high-performance liquid chromatographic separation of enantiomers using hexane/isopropanol or hexane/dichloromethane as mobile phase. Various types of enantiomers such as alcohols, amines, ketones, ethers, organic acids, etc. can be resolved on these homochiral MOF columns. The results revealed that the enantioseletivities of homochiral MOFs based on amino acids as chiral bridging ligands used as stationary phases are practical in HPLC.

A chiral, porous, organic cage-based, enantioselective potentiometric sensor for 2-aminobutanol.

A new enantioselective potentiometric sensor containing R-type chiral porous organic cage CC9 as the chiral selector was designed for the assay of 2-aminobutanol. Optimized membrane electrodes displayed a linear dynamic range from 10-3  ~ 10-1  mol·L-1 with a detection limit of 2.5 × 10-4  mol·L-1 and a Nernstian response of 27 ± 0.5mV·decade-1 toward S-2-aminobutanol within the pH range 7.0-10.0. The potentiometric enantioselectivity coefficient ( logKS,RPot) of this sensor was -1.333, indicating that the porous organic cage-based electrode exhibited good discrimination toward S-2-aminobutanol over R-2-aminobutanol.

Homochiral Porous Organic Cage with High Selectivity for the Separation of Racemates in Gas Chromatography.

Porous organic molecular cages as a new type of porous materials have attracted a tremendous attention for their potential applications in recent years. Here we report the use of a homochiral porous organic cage (POC) (CC3-R) diluted with a polysiloxane (OV-1701) as a stationary phase for high-resolution gas chromatography (GC) with excellent enantioselectivity. A large number of optical isomers have been resolved without derivatization, including chiral alcohols, diols, amines, alcohol amines, esters, ketones, ethers, halohydrocarbons, organic acids, amino acid methyl esters, and sulfoxides. Compared with commercial ß-DEX 120 and Chirasil-L-Val columns, the CC3-R coated capillary column offered more preeminent enantioselectivity. In addition, CC3-R also exhibits good selectivity for the separation of isomers, linear alkanes, alcohols, and aromatic hydrocarbons. The excellent resolution ability, repeatability, and thermal stability make CC3-R a promising candidate as a novel stationary phase for GC. The study described herein first proves useful commercially. This work also indicates that porous organic molecular materials will become more attractive in separation science.

[Chiral porous organic cage used as stationary phase for gas chromatographic separation of chiral and achiral compounds].

Porous organic cages (POCs) are a new type of molecular material. The well-defined cavities, abundant host-guest recognition ability, and good solubility of POCs render them attractive for use in various fields such as molecular recognition, gas adsorption, molecular containers, sensing, catalysis, chromatographic separation. In this study, a chiral POC (CPOC) was synthesized via the Schiff base condensation of 4,4',4″,4″'-(ethene-1,1,2,2-tetrayl)tetrabenzaldehyde with (R,R)-1,2-cyclohexanediamine. CPOC was characterized using nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, Fourier transform-infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, mass spectroscopy (MS), and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The FT-IR spectrum of CPOC showed a strong peak at 1638 cm-1, which was attributed to imine (-C=N-) absorption, as well as absorption peaks at 2928 and 2856 cm-1, which were attributed to the stretching vibrations of -CH2- and -CH-, respectively. MS analysis of CPOC revealed peaks at m/z=1801.9797, m/z=901.9914, and m/z=601.6631, corresponding to [M+H]+, [M+2H]2+, and [M+3H]3+, respectively, and indicating a molecular formula of CPOC (C126H120N12). The TGA curve of CPOC indicated high thermal stability up to 360 ℃; thus, the material is suitable for use as a stationary phase for gas chromatography (GC). CPOC was coated on the inner wall of a capillary column using the static coating method to prepare a GC column. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was used to characterize the coating condition of the fabricated column. The SEM images showed that the column had a uniform coating with a thickness of approximately 200 nm. Column efficiency was determined to be 3500 plates/m using n-dodecane as a target at 120 ℃. The polarity of the CPOC stationary phase was evaluated using McReynolds constants, which were measured using benzene, 1-nitropropane, 2-pentanone, pyridine, and 1-butanol as probe molecules at 120 ℃. The average McReynolds constant was 152, indicating that CPOC is a moderately polar stationary phase. The ability of the column to separate organic mixtures, isomers, and chiral compounds was subsequently investigated. All components of the four organic mixtures (n-alkanes, aromatics, n-alcohols, and Grob mixtures) tested achieved baseline separation on the column. In addition, nine positional isomers of disubstituted benzenes were well separated, and seven (o,m,p-nitrotoluene, o,m,p-nitrochlorobenzene, o,m,p-nitrobromobenzene, o,m,p-bromotoluene, o,m,p-dichlorobenzene, o,m,p-chloroaniline, and o,m,p-bromoaniline) achieved baseline separation. Some polar and apolar structural isomers, such as pentanol, dimethylphenol, dimethylaniline, butanol, and C9 aromatic hydrocarbon isomers, were also well separated on the column. Five cis/trans-isomers (nerol/geraniol, cis/trans-1,3-dichloropropene, cis/trans-1,2,3-trichloropropene, cis/trans-citral, and cis/trans-decahydronaphthalene) were baseline-separated on the column. More importantly, the column successfully separated 12 chiral compounds, indicating good chiral separation ability. Among these chiral compounds, five (ethyl 3-hydroxybutyrate, a valine derivative, a glutamic acid derivative, 1,2-butanediol diacetate, and 1,2-epoxybutane) achieved baseline separation. Six of these chiral compounds (ethyl 3-hydroxybutyrate, the valine derivative, the glutamic acid derivative, 1,2-epoxybutane, epichlorohydrin, and epibromohydrin) could not be separated on a ß-DEX 120 column but were well separated on the developed column. Moreover, the separation efficiency of 1,2-butanediol diacetate and the isoleucine derivative on this column was better than that on the ß-DEX 120 column. Separation of the glutamic acid derivative and o,m,p-nitrotoluene was performed before and after the column was used for repeated injections to explore its repeatability. The retention times and selectivity observed after 80, 160, and 500 injections were nearly unchanged compared with those obtained following the first use of the column, indicating that the column has good repeatability. The column was conditioned at 280 ℃ for a certain period to examine its thermal stability. Separation of 3-hydroxybutyrate and o,m,p-nitrochlorobenzene after the column was conditioned at 280 ℃ for 2, 4, or 8 h revealed no obvious changes compared with the first use of the column, indicating that the column had good thermal stability. Thus, CPOC is a stationary phase with good application potential for GC.