Comparison of liquid and supercritical fluid chromatography for the separation of enantiomers on chiral stationary phases

Comparisons of liquid (LC) and supercritical fluid chromatography (SFC) were conducted using commercially available chiral stationary phases (CSPs) bearing three different types of chiral selectors. Chiral compounds of pharmaceutical and agricultural interest were used to probe advantages or limitations of SFC relative to LC for enantiomeric separations. Column equilibration and parameter optimization were generally accomplished more rapidly in SFC than in LC. Although improved resolution was often observed in SFC, analysis times were not always lower in SFC than in LC. In some instances, SFC provided separation capabilities not readily accessible in LC.