Stereoselective analysis of herbicides by capillary electrophoresis using sulfobutyl ether beta-cyclodextrin as chiral selector.

Capillary zone electrophoresis has been used for the enantiomeric separation of several herbicides. Different beta-cyclodextrin (CD) derivatives have been investigated for chiral separations and among them the negatively charged sulfobutyl ether beta-cyclodextrin (SBE-beta-CD) proved to be effective for the stereo-selective resolutions of the investigated herbicides. The effect of CD concentration, buffer pH and organic modifier on effective mobilities, resolution and selectivity of the analytes have been studied. Addition of SBE-beta-CD (5-50 mg/mL) to the buffer at pH 9 resulted in a general increase of migration times as well as resolution. A CD concentration as low as 5 mg/mL was effective to completely resolve napropamide and ethofumesate enantiomers. Buffer solutions containing 40 mg/mL of SBE-beta-CD were chosen to study the effect of buffer pH (7, 8, and 9) on chiral separation of the herbicides. No great differences in resolution and effective mobilities have been found in the pH 7-9 range. The addition of different organic modifiers to the background electrolyte at pH 9, containing 20 mg/mL of SBE-beta-CD, showed different effects. Methanol was the most effective in improving resolution but in some cases total loss in enantiomeric separation was observed. The qualitative analysis of an enantiomerically pure herbicide (flamprop isopropyl) commercial preparation is also shown.