Using Cyclodextrins to Achieve Chiral and Non-chiral Separations in Capillary Electrophoresis

Separating chiral compounds is one of the most popular applications of capillary electrophoresis (CE). The most common approach to achieve these separations is by adding cyclodextrins (CDs) into the run buffer. This article describes the theoretical background on how the separations occur, the various operating approaches that can be taken and method development. Practical routine applications are demonstrated, including the analysis of positional isomers, which are often difficult to separate by CE. The types and purities of CDs are also described.