Principle and applications of the partial filling technique in capillary electrophoresis

Summary The partial filling technique (PFT) in capillary electrophoresis (CE) is an efficient system where, only 50–800 nanolitres of a chiral selector solution needs to be added to each run. PFT is especially applicable when these additives to the background electrolyte (BGE) are expensive or absorb UV light. The selector dissolved in the BGE is applied to the capillary as a plug, shorter than the effective length of the capillary, prior to application of the analyte. During the run both ends of the capillary are connected to the BGE. The applied plug and the analyte may move in opposite directions or in the same direction at different velocities depending on their electrophoretic mobilities. Thus the final plug length is either longer or shorter than the original length. The technique has been successfully applied in a number of studies including enantiomeric separation with a variety of selectors, and for the determination of conditional association constants. Taken from Dr. Pharm. Sc. Thesis, A. Amini, Uppsala, 1998.     

Tert.-butylcarbamoylquinine as chiral ion-pair agent in non-aqueous enantioselective capillary electrophoresis applying the partial filling technique

The potential of tert.-butylcarbamoylquinine as chiral selector (SO) added to a non-aqueous background electrolyte for the capillary electrophoretic separation of the enantiomers of N-derivatized amino acids (selectands, SAs) is evaluated. Separation is based on different ion-pair formation equilibrium constants of (R) and (S) enantiomers of the negatively charged chiral analytes with the positively charged quinine-derived chiral SO and on mobility differences of free and complexed SAs, so that differences in the overall migration behavior of the SA enantiomers result. To suppress problems associated with the high UV absorption of the chiral SO and thus the high detector background in the 'total filling technique', the 'partial filling technique' has been adopted. Several parameters including filling time and length of SO zone, respectively, SO concentration, type of background electrolyte, have been evaluated. Using such an optimized method, for example, (R) and (S) enantiomers of 2,4-dinitrophenyl (DNP)-protected proline could be separated with alpha=1.08, R(S)=6.60, and N=130,000 theoretical plates within 15 min. Similar alpha values, resolution, and efficiencies were observed for other DNP-protected, as well as for diverse, N-derivatized amino acids like N-benzoyl, N-9-fluorenylmethoxycarbonyl, N-3,5-dinitrobenzyloxycarbonyl amino acids. A repeatability study clearly validated the robustness of the method and revealed its practical applicability.     

Efficient applications of capillary electrophoresis-tandem mass spectrometry to the analysis of adrenoreceptor antagonist enantiomers using a partial filling technique

Throughout the separation of chiral basic drugs by capillary electrophoresis (CE) with neutral hydroxypropyl-beta-cyclodextrin (HP-beta-CD) as chiral selector, the sensitivity of detection can be improved by using tandem mass spectrometric (MS-MS) detection with a partial filling technique rather than with UV spectrometric detection. Prior to sample injection. the capillary was partly filled with HP-beta-CD dissolved in volatile ammonium formate buffer (pH 4, ionic strength 50 mM). The effects of modifying the HP-beta-CD concentration in the selector zone and the length of the separation zone on the enantioresolution and the signal-to-noise ratio of the pseudo-molecular MH+ ion were investigated. For a given selector zone length, as the concentration of the neutral cyclodextrin increases, the resolution between enantiomers becomes higher (the opposite of the behavior of the signal-to-noise ratio) and then reaches an optimum value. The decrease of the selector zone length lowered the resolution between the enantiomers but increased peak efficiencies and signal-to-noise ratio values. Accordingly, partial capillary filling at 80% (v/v) and 10 mM concentration of HP-beta-CD was selected as a suitable compromise between resolution and sensitivity of MS detection. Limits of detection for each adrenoreceptor antagonist enantiomer were 5 ng/ml (0.02 microM) in CE-MS-MS instead of 150 ng/ml (0.60 microM) in CE-UV, which enhances sensitivity by a factor of 30.     

Enantioseparation of nuarimol by affinity electrokinetic chromatography-partial filling technique using human serum albumin as chiral selector

The present paper deals with the enantiomeric separation of nuarimol enantiomers by affinity EKC-partial filling technique using HSA as chiral selector. Firstly, a study of nuarimol interactions with HSA by CE-frontal analysis was performed. The binding parameters obtained for the first site of interaction were n(1) = 0.84; K(1) = 9.7 +/- 0.3x10(3 )M(-1) and the protein binding percentage of nuarimol at physiological concentration of HSA was 75.2 +/- 0.2%. Due to the moderate affinity of nuarimol towards HSA the possibility of using this protein as chiral selector for the separation of nuarimol using the partial filling technique was evaluated. A multivariate optimization approach of the most critical experimental variables in enantioresolution, running pH, HSA concentration and plug length was carried out. Separation of nuarimol enantiomers was obtained under the following selected conditions: electrophoretic buffer composed of 50 mM Tris at pH 7.3; 160 muM HSA solution applied at 50 mbar for 156 s as chiral selector; nuarimol solutions in the range of 2-8x10(-4) M injected hydrodynamically at 30 mbar for 2 s and the electrophoretic runs performed at 30 degrees C applying 15 kV voltage. Resolution, accuracy, reproducibility speed and cost of the proposed method make it suitable for quality control of the enantiomeric composition of nuarimol in formulations and for further toxicological studies. The results showed a different affinity between nuarimol enantiomers towards HSA.     

Simultaneous separation and enantioresolution of racemic local anesthetic drugs by capillary zone electrophoresis with Tween 20 and methyl-beta-cyclodextrin as selectors, employing a double plug technique

A new approach for simultaneous chiral and achiral separations by capillary zone electrophoresis is described. Two adjacent selector plugs, consisting of Tween 20 as an achiral and methyl-beta-cyclodextrin (CD) as a chiral selector, are employed and four related local anesthetics are used as model compounds. The principles of the partial filling technique, whereby the capillary is filled with the chiral selector solution followed by the micellar solution at different plug lengths and concentrations, prior to application of the solutes, was employed. During the run both capillary ends were dipped in a simple buffer, i.e., one without additives. The two separation media worked independently without any interaction. Separation of the solutes and their enantiomers was regulated by adjusting both the concentration and plug length (PL) of the micellar solution in the capillary, employing methyl beta-CD as chiral selector either at 38 or 76 mM. The solutes were separated on the basis of their affinity towards the micellar phase before they reached the methyl-beta-CD plug for enantioseparation. In the absence of the micellar plug, the enantiomers of prilocaine overlapped those of bupivacaine. The solutes and their enantiomers were completely separated by employing two adjacent plugs consisting of 100 mM Tween 20 solution (PL approximately 10 cm) and methyl-beta-CD solution at either 38 or 76 mM (PL approximately 30 cm).     

Enantiomeric separation of racemic clenbuterol by capillary zone electrophoresis

A method for capillary electrophoretic enantiomeric separation of a racemic clenbuterol has been established with hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin as the chiral selector. General equations and data analysis are presented to relate mobility to the equilibrium constants in simple binding equilibria and used to determine binding constants and thermodynamic parameters for host-guest complexation of clenbuterol enantiomers with hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin as a selector. The effects of β-cyclodextrin type and concentration, buffer type, concentration and pH, as well as separation voltage and capillary temperature were investigated in detail. A maximal resolution of 6.78 was obtained. The binding constants of the host-guest complex of clenbuterol enantiomers with hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin, K _R-CD and K _S-CD are 22.50 and 43.09 l mol^-1, respectively.     

Fast enantiomeric separation with vancomycin as chiral additive by co-electroosmotic flow capillary electrophoresis: increase of the detection sensitivity by the partial filling technique

A fast and sensitive method is described by using vancomycin as a chiral additive for enantiomeric separation by capillary electrophoresis (CE). In order to overcome disadvantages associated with use of vancomycin as chiral additive in CE, several strategies including the dynamic coating technique, the co-electroosmotic flow technique, and the partial filling technique were employed sequentially in this method. Using the polycationic polymer hexadimethrine bromide (HDB) as a buffer additive, the capillary wall was dynamically coated with a thin film formed by the adsorbed HDB. Consequently, the adsorption of vancomycin onto the capillary wall was minimized via electrostatic repulsion between the coating of the capillary wall and the vancomycin molecule. In addition, the reversed electroosmotic flow (from cathode to anode) produced by the positively charged capillary wall migrates in the same direction of negatively charged analytes (co-electroosmotic flow electrophoresis). Thereby the electrophoretic mobility of negatively charged analytes were drastically accelerated leading to a short separation time of less than 3.4 min. The separation time was further reduced by the use of a short-end-injection technique. For example, the analysis time was achieved by as short as 55 s for a baseline separation of dansyl-alpha-amino-n-butyric acid. Concurrently, the partial filling technique was used to avoid the loss of detection sensitivity caused by the presence of vancomycin in the running buffer. The effect of several parameters, such as HDB concentration, buffer pH, plug length of the chiral selector, concentration of the chiral selector and applied voltage, on enantioselectivity were investigated toward optimization. Besides the advantage of a very short separation time, the method is characterized by high detection sensitivity, high selectivity, and high efficiency.     

Separation of enantiomers by capillary electrophoresis-mass spectrometry employing a partial filling technique with a chiral crown ether

Enantiomer separations were performed by capillary electrophoresis-mass spectrometry (CE-MS) with (+)-(18-crown-6)-2,3,11,12-tetracarboxylic acid (18C6H4) as a chiral selector. In order to prevent the introduction of the nonvolatile chiral, selector, 18C6H4, into the nozzle of the CE-MS interface and/or the orifice plate, a partial filling technique was employed in this study. By the partial filling technique, the contamination caused by the nonvolatile chiral selector was avoided not only during the analysis but also during the washing of capillary with the separation solution prior to the run. Several racemic compounds having a primary amino group were successfully separated. Racemic 3-aminopyrrolidine and racemic alpha-amino-epsilon-caprolactam have no strong UV absorption, but such compounds were detected with a high sensitivity by MS detection. In this paper, the effects of the length of separation zone and those of the 18C6H4 concentration were described. As the length of the separation zone was longer or as the concentration of 18C6H4 was higher, the enantiomer resolution was enhanced more and more. However, the optimization of 18C6H4 concentration was practically enough to obtain the baseline separation.     

Evaluation of quail egg white riboflavin binding protein as a chiral selector in capillary electrophoresis by applying a modified partial filling technique.

A preliminary evaluation of the enantioselective properties of quail egg yolk riboflavin binding protein (qRfBP) was carried out in capillary electrophoresis by using the complete filling technique. The most promising results obtained by this screening of nineteen chiral drugs were singled out with the aim of optimizing enantiomer separations by applying the partial filling technique, which allows operating at much higher protein concentrations without detection problems. The building of the separation zone in the partial filling technique has been modified in order to enable on-line monitoring, before each run, of the actual protein plug application velocity and, consequently, the building of a plug of the desired length. The electrophoretic conditions chosen gave opposite migration directions for the chiral selector and the analytes, with qRfBP migrating away from the detector. A polyvinyl alcohol-coated capillary was first totally filled with protein and the optimal plug length was obtained by further applying negative pressure together with positive voltage for the time needed. Separations of basic drugs were optimized by using protein concentrations ranging from 200 microM up to 900 microM and different plug lengths, while the running buffer pH (6.0), temperature (25 degrees C) and operating voltage (+20 kV) were kept constant. The enantioresolution of all solutes was affected by both the chiral selector concentration and protein plug length. Baseline separations were obtained for oxprenolol, prilocaine and bupivacaine.     

Chiral capillary electrophoresis as predictor for separation of drug enantiomers in continuous flow zone electrophoresis

Separation of the enantiomers of chlorpheniramine and methadone in acidic buffers containing carboxymethyl-betacyclodextrin (CMCD) as chiral selector was investigated by capillary zone electrophoresis. For a range of pH and CMCD concentrations, the mobility difference and resolution of the enantiomers were determined. Then, conditions known to provide well resolved enantiomers and optimized chiral separation were applied to chiral continuous flow electrophoresis. In that approach, a thin film of fluid flowing between two parallel plates is employed as carrier for electrophoresis. The electrolytes and the sample are continuously admitted at one end of the electrophoresis chamber and are fractionated by an array of outlet tubes at the other. The number of pure enantiomeric fractions obtained by chiral continuous flow electrophoresis was found to be directly dependent on the enantiomeric mobility difference. For racemic chlorpheniramine separated in a betaine-acetic acid buffer at a total throughput of 5 mg/h, complete enantiomeric separation is shown to require a mobility difference of about 3 x 10(-9) m2/V s. Furthermore, compared to the previous investigations with hydroxypropyl-beta-cyclodextrin, CMCD was found to permit improved fractionation of methadone enantiomers. With a total racemic drug throughput of about 15 mg/h, continuous flow zone electrophoresis processing with CMCD as chiral selector is shown to have the potential of providing pure enantiomers on a mg/h scale. The results indicate that chiral capillary zone electrophoresis data can be employed as predictor for preparative scale chiral separations based upon continuous flow zone electrophoresis.     

Enantiomeric separation by capillary electrophoresis with an electroosmotic flow-controlled capillary

Perfect control of electroosmotic flow (EOF) was achieved by dovetailing successive multiple ionic-polymer layer (SMIL) coated capillaries. The direction and magnitude of the EOF was perfectly controllable over the pH range 2-13. Zone diffusion was not observed, even if the inner wall of the dovetailed capillary was discontinuous, or if the sample zone passed through the connected part of the capillary because the RSDs of migration time, theoretical plates, symmetry factor and S/N of the marker were almost the same when seamless capillary and dovetailed capillary were compared. The dovetailed capillary was applied to cyclodextrin modified capillary zone electrophoresis. The control of the EOF enabled us to control both the resolution and the migration order of the enantiomers. The migration time was also controllable and, therefore, the best condition between separation and migration time could be determined by controlling the EOF. Partial filling affinity electrokinetic chromatography with a protein used as a chiral selector was also studied. The migration of the pseudostationary phase was controllable by EOF, and detection of the solute at 214 nm was possible. Therefore, the EOF-controlled dovetailed capillary has great potential to expand the application of the separation technique.     

Application of liquid pre-column capillary electrophoresis technique to the study of interaction between drug enantiomers and human serum albumin

Based on the chiral separation of several basie drugs, dimetindene, tetryzoline, theodrenaline and verapamil, the liquid pre-colunm capillary electrophoresis (LPC-CE) technique was established. It was used to determine free concentrations of drug enantiomers in mixed solutions with human serum albumin (HSA). To prevent HSA entering the CE chiral separation zone, the mobility differences between HSA and drugs under a specific pH condition were employed in the LPC. Thus, the detection confusion caused by protein was totally avoided. Further study of binding constants determination and protein binding competitions was carried out. The study proves that the LPC technique could be used for complex media, particularly the matrix of protein coexisting with a variety of drugs.     

Label‐free aptamer‐based partial filling technique for enantioseparation and determination of dl‐tryptophan with micellar electrokinetic chromatography

In this study, a simple and reproducible method for enantioseparation and determination of dl ‐tryptophan (dl ‐T rp) was developed by using a partial filling technique in combination with MEKC . The corresponding l ‐T rp specific DNA aptamer was used as a chiral selector. Sodium cholate was used to form the chiral micelles and to enhance the enantioseparation of the enantiomers. Effects of aptamer concentration, filling time, buffer composition, and separation voltage on the enantioseparation were evaluated. The M g²⁺ and Na⁺ concentration in separation buffer was found to effectively affect the separation efficiency and reproducibility. Under the optimal conditions, d ‐ and l ‐T rp were completely enantioseparated in less than 9 min. This aptamer‐based partial‐filling approach has the potential to be extended to the separation of other enantiomers after the replacement of corresponding specific aptamers.     

Estimation of the pH-independent binding constants of alanylphenylalanine and leucylphenylalanine stereoisomers with beta-cyclodextrin in the presence of urea

The separation of stereoisomers, particularly enantiomers, is important when their physiological activity differs. We have resolved the four stereoisomers each of alanylphenylalanine (Ala-Phe) and of leucylphenylalanine (Leu-Phe) by capillary electrophoresis using beta-cyclodextrin as a buffer additive and urea to enhance its solubility. A study of the influence of pH and beta-cyclodextrin concentration on the separations showed that weak inclusion complexes were formed between the dipeptides and chiral selector. It was found that pH could alter the migration order of enantiomers L-Ala-L-Phe and D-Ala-D-Phe, as well as L-Leu-L-Phe and D-Leu-D-Phe; however, there was no change in order for the other pairs of optical isomers. Electrophoretic mobility data were used to estimate the acid dissociation constants of the dipeptide isomers at pH < 7 with no chiral selector present. By varying the concentration of beta-cyclodextrin, the chiral selector, the binding constants of Ala-Phe and Leu-Phe optical isomers in their fully protonated and zwitterionic forms were estimated. For the four Ala-Phe stereoisomers, K = 42-66 M(-1) and 4-41 M(-1) for the cationic and zwitterionic forms, respectively. For the four Leu-Phe stereoisomers, K = 43-94 M(-1) and 1-28 M(-1) for the cationic and zwitterionic forms, respectively.     

毛细管电泳环糊精添加剂拆分特布他林对映体的立体选择性研究

分别测定了毛细管区带电泳环糊精手性拆分体系中α,β－环糊精和二甲基、三甲基、羟丙基－β－环糊精与药物对映体特布他林形成包结络合物的稳定常数以及手性拆分过程的热力学函数的变化。数据分析表明,环糊精稳定常数的大小反映了环糊精空腔与分离对象之间的匹配程度。环糊精稳定常数的相对值反映了手性拆分体系的分离能力。两对映体与环糊精所形成包结络合物的Δ（ΔＨ）和Δ（ΔＳ）分别反映了手性拆分过程中立体作用与构象匹配的差异。与甲基化β－环糊精相比,羟丙基－β－环糊精和β－环糊精提供的氢键作用在手性拆分中起着重要作用。     

Chiral separations by open tubular capillary electrokinetic chromatography.

The inner walls of 50 microns fused-silica capillaries are etched by ammonium hydrogendifluoride and then modified by the silanization/hydrosilation method with a chiral selector. Three different types of selectors were evaluated: lactone, beta-cyclodextrin and naphthylethylamine. Each of the bonded chiral stationary phases provided at least partial separation for one type of racemic solute. These results confirm that bonded organic moieties on the etched inner wall of a capillary can provided sufficient solute-bonded phase interactions to influence the retention of molecules driven through a capillary by electroosmosis or a combination of electroosmosis and electrophoretic mobility.     

Enantioselective determination of modafinil in pharmaceutical formulations by capillary electrophoresis, and computational calculation of their inclusion complexes

A fast capillary electrophoretic method is described for the separation and determination of the enantiomers of the novel wake-promoting agent, modafinil. Several parameters affecting the separation were studied, including the type and concentration of chiral selector, buffer pH, buffer concentration, voltage and temperature. Good chiral separation of the racemic mixture was achieved in less than 5 min with resolution factor Rs?=?2.51, using a bare fused-silica capillary and a background electrolyte (BGE) of 25 mM H₃PO₄?1 M tris solution; pH 8.0; containing 30 mg mL^?1 of sulfated-β-cyclodextrin (S-β-CD). The separation was carried out in normal polarity mode at 25 ^?C, 18 kV and using hydrostatic injection. Acceptable validation criteria for selectivity, linearity, precision, and accuracy were included. The developed method was successfully applied to the assay of enantiomers of modafinil in pharmaceutical formulations. The computational calculations for the enantiomeric inclusion complexes rationalized the reasons for the different migration times between the modafinil enantiomers.     

Affinity capillary electrophoresis coupling with partial filling technique and field‐amplified sample injection for enantioseparation and determination of DL‐tetrahydropalmatine

A novel, simple and sensitive method for the enantioseparation and determination of DL ‐tetrahydropalmatine (DL ‐THP) was developed using ACE in combination with partial filling technique and field‐amplified sample injection. A chiral selector, i.e. BSA, was used for the enantioseparation of DL ‐THP in ACE. Effects of BSA concentration, pH and separation voltage on the effectiveness of the enantiomer separation were evaluated. In an optimal condition, D ‐ and L ‐THP were completely enantio‐separated in less than 9 min by partially filling an electrophoretic capillary with 50 μmol/L BSA (50 mbar, 100 s) and carrying out an electrophoresis with 20 mmol/L phosphate buffer (pH 7.4) at 15 kV. The sensitivity was further improved by making use of field‐amplified sample injection to lower the LOD (defined as S/N=3) down to 6 ng/mL. Real samples were also tested and promising results for the determination of DL ‐THP enantiomers were obtained.     

Ultrashort partial-filling technique in capillary electrophoresis for infinite resolution of tramadol enantiomers and its metabolites with highly sulfated cyclodextrins

The possibility to enhance resolution to infinite value in chiral capillary electrophoresis is attained as soon as the apparent mobility of one enantiomer becomes opposite to the other. This could be achieved on the basis of the carrier ability of multiple charged chiral selectors such as highly sulfated cyclodextrin (HS-CD). With tramadol and its phase I metabolites selected as model compounds, the HS-gamma-CD was found to be the most appropriate chiral selector. The CD concentration was determined where one enantiomer still migrated as a cation while the other migrated in the opposite side. Besides the chiral selector concentration, secondary parameters such as buffer concentration appeared to be critical to reach infinite resolution. The latter was achieved with partial filling technique using ultrashort separation zones (a few mm). In order to better understand the interaction mechanism between the selected CD and the analytes, the classical affinity capillary electrophoresis method, although not fully satisfactory because of ionic strength variations within a series of mobility shift measurements, was applied to estimate complexation constants and complex mobilities. The results obtained point to the prevailing role of complex mobility differences in the enantioselectivity mechanism.     

基于非手性离子液体的毛细管电泳法拆分3种手性药物

建立了以非手性离子液体1-正丁基-3-甲基咪唑氯(［BMIM］Cl)为手性分离的添加剂、β-环糊精作为手性选择剂的毛细管区带电泳(CZE)分离扑尔敏、氯霉素前体和氧氟沙星3种对映体的方法,并与未添加［BMIM］Cl的CZE分离情况进行了对比研究。发现［BMIM］Cl对手性药物的拆分有协同作用,不仅能够增加对映体的分离度,还能有效地抑制毛细管内壁对样品分子的吸附作用,改善峰形。采用离子液体辅助手性选择剂(尤其是环糊精)的CZE改进方法,为其他毛细管电泳难以分离的手性药物的分离分析提供了新的方法。