Chiral Recognition and Separation Mechanisms

Chirality plays a major role in biological processes and the enantiomers of a bioactive molecule often possess different biological effects. Accurate assessment is critical as isomeric impurities may have unwanted toxicological, pharmacological, or other effects. Separation techniques remain the method of choice for this area of drug research but there is a great deal of trial and error in choosing a particular column for a chiral separation. This book gives a rationale for choosing a stationary phase that is based on the relationship that exists between the analytes and the chiral stationary phases. The text provides examples to underline the separation mechanism.

Nelu Grinberg is with Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, in Connecticut, USA.