Separation of stereoisomers of some terpene derivatives by capillary gas chromatography-mass spectrometry and high-performance liquid chromatography using beta-cyclodextrin derivative columns.

Gas chromatographic separations of the stereoisomers of menthol derivatives, important intermediates in the synthesis of physiologically active natural products, were carried out on several substituted beta-cyclodextrin (CD) columns, including per-O-methyl-beta-cyclodextrin (PME-beta-CD), heptakis(2,3-di-O-acetyl-6-tert-butyldimethylsilyl)-beta-CD (DIAC-6-TBDS-beta-CD), and heptakis(2,3-di-O-methyl-6-tert-butyldimethylsilyl)-beta-CD (DIME-6-TBDS-beta-CD) as chiral stationary phases (CSPs). With the DIME-6-TBDS-beta-CD column, a separation of the Z- and E-isomers of methylidenementhol was accomplished; no separation was achieved with the other columns. The stereoisomers of methylidenementhol and the corresponding tert-butyldimethylsilyl (TBS) ether were separated on both the beta-CD and the heptakis(2,3,6-tri-O-methyl)-beta-cyclodextrin (TME-beta-CD) columns by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with a mobile phase involving acetonitrile and H(2)O. For the separation of the Z- and E-isomers of methylidenementhol, the TME-beta-CD column was superior. In contrast, the beta-CD column was preferable in the case of the corresponding TBS ether.