Enantiomer separation of acidic chiral compounds on a quinine-silica/zirconia hybrid monolith by capillary electrochromatography

• A quinine-incorporated silica/zirconia hybrid monolithic (QUI-S/ZHM) column was prepared.
• The QUI-S/ZHM column was used in enantioseparation of acidic chiral compounds by CEC.
• Optimal conditions for chiral separations on the QUI-S/ZHM were investigated.

A weak anion-exchanger chiral selector, quinine-incorporated silica/zirconia hybrid monolithic (QUI-S/ZHM) capillary column was prepared by sol–gel technology. The performance of the QUI-S/ZHM column was investigated for enantioresolution of a set of acidic chiral drugs and dinitrobenzoyl (DNB)-amino acids by capillary electrochromatography in aqueous organic mobile phases composed of acetonitrile (ACN) and triethylammonium acetate (TEAA) buffer. Effects of several parameters including the ACN content, concentration and pH of the mobile phase on the chiral separation were examined. Baseline resolutions of all the compounds were obtained in the mobile phase consisting of 70:30 ACN/TEAA (10 mM, pH 6) under applied voltage of −10 kV at 25 °C within 20 min.