Separation of the Phenoxy Acid Herbicides and Their Enantiomers by Capillary Zone Electrophoresis in Presence of Highly Sulphated Cyclodextrins

The study of the chiral compounds and their fate in the environment is receiving an increasing attention — enantiomeric ratios are being measured and enantioselective degradation processes are being reported. It is particularly important with the toxic compounds like the pesticides, which are being freely used in the environment to control the harmful pests. Capillary zone electrophoresis was used for the chiral and mutual separation of four phenoxy acid herbicides using highly sulphated cyclodextrins (HSCD) in the buffer. The CE runs were performed with reverse polarity (anode in the outlet vial) using the acidic ammonium formate buffer (20 mmol, pH 3). Under these conditions of suppressed the electroendoosmotic flow (EOF), the analytes are mobilized to the anode by entering into host guest relation with the migrating negatively charged sulphated cyclodextrin. The phenoxy acid herbicides selected for the purpose were fenoprop, dicloprop, mecoprop and 2,4‐DB. The α‐HSCD and β‐HSCD have been tested as resolving agents in the CE for the separation of the enantiomers of the herbicides. Though the chiral separation of the dicloprop and mecoprop were achieved with α‐HSCD but it was not able to resolve fenoprop. With β‐HSCD the required base line separation was achieved. Potential difference selected was 10 kV. The limit of detection (S/N= 3) achieved in present case is 0.15 ppm for fenoprop, 0.14 ppm for dicloprop and mecoprop and 0.11 ppm for 2,4‐DB.