Diastereoselective and enantioselective chromatography of the pyrethroid insecticides allethrin and cypermethrin

Summary Liquid and gas chromatographic separations of the pyrethroid insecticides allethrin and cypermethrin have been investigated with various achiral and chiral stationary phases. Diastercomeric and enantiomeric selectivity was observed for cypermethrin on a Pirkle-type chiral LC stationary phase, but very strong interactions and therefore long retention times prevented the separation of allethrin on this phase. Trans-allethrin isomers were separated on a chiral -cyclodextrin RP-HPLC column while cypermethrin showed some difficulties on this phase due to isomerization. Diastereomeric but no enantiomeric selectivity by GC was achieved for cypermethrin with an apolar DB 5 capillary. GC separation of the diastereomers was used to study the selective photodegradation of cypermethrin isomers after forestry applications. Chiral -cyclodextrin-based GC phases showed some enantioselectivity for cis- and trans-allethrin isomers. A separation of the eight isomers into six partially resolved peaks was achieved by GC with a coupled column consisting of chiral permethylated -cyclodextrin and DB 1701 as stationary phases. This combination was used to characterize allethrin formulations intended for indoor use and to investigate allethrin products formed by ozonolysis of thin films of the insecticide.