Chiral separation by counter-current chromatography

•Chiral separation by counter-current chromatography.•Benefits and limitations of chiral separation by counter-current chromatography.•Novel methods for chiral separation by counter-current chromatography.•Challenges of applications of chiral separation by counter-current chromatography.

Counter-current chromatography (CCC) is a new, efficient, productive chromatographic technique based on continuous liquid-liquid partition. Recently, it attracted more attention in chiral separation due to its high load capacity, cheap liquid stationary phase and low solvent consumption, when compared to traditional chiral separation techniques. This review presents advances and applications of chiral separation using high-speed CCC in recent years. We summarize the major benefits and the limitations of chiral separation by CCC. We introduce in detail some novel methods, which can improve the resolution of enantiomers and are easily achieved on classical CCC apparatus. We also outline challenges and future perspectives in developing chiral separation by CCC.