Chiral separation of neonicotinoid insecticides by polysaccharide‐type stationary phases using high‐performance liquid chromatography and supercritical fluid chromatography

The enantiomeric separations of three neonicotinoid insecticides (identified as compounds 1 , 2 , and 3 ) were performed on three polysaccharide‐type chiral columns, that is, Chiralcel OD‐H, Chiralpak AD‐H, and Chiralpak IB, by high‐performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and supercritical fluid chromatography (SFC). Effects of the modifier percentage and column temperature on chiral recognitions of chiral stationary phases were also studied. Both 1 and 2 could be resolved on all three columns selected, with the highest R_s values obtained on Chiralpak AD‐H and Chiralcel OD‐H, respectively. However, satisfactory separation of the four stereoisomers of 3 was only achieved on Chiralcel OD‐H. Considering the effects of ethanol on the values of k, α, and R_s, we concluded that hydrogen bonding, π–π, and/or dipole–dipole interactions might be all responsible for the chiral separation. In comparison to HPLC, a shorter run time was achieved for 1 and 2 by SFC. However, 3 could not be stereoselectively resolved using SFC. On the basis of the calculated thermodynamic parameters, we found that the separation processes of enantiomers of 1 and 2 were entropy controlled and enthalpy controlled, respectively. Chirality, 2011. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.