Use of polystyrene nanoparticles to enhance enantiomeric separation of propranolol by capillary electrophoresis with Hp-beta-CD as chiral selector Original Research Article

We describe the use of polystyrene (PS) nanoparticles to manipulate chiral selectivity of propranolol analysis by capillary electrophoresis, by dispersing PS nanoparticles into the run buffer employing hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin (HP-β-CD) as chiral selector. Distinct separational differences are observed between the buffer containing PS nanoparticles and buffer without, when changing separating conditions including PS nanoparticles concentration, pH, buffer concentration, HP-β-CD concentration and when adding an organic additive. Selectivity improvements are reflected by changes in the observed mobility as a result of interactions between the propranolol enantiomers and HP-β-CD governing the absorption process on the PS particles surface. The presence of PS nanoparticles increases the enantioseparation at low particle concentration in the presence of HP-β-CD as a chiral selector.