Optimization of chiral resolution using packed columns with carbon dioxide-based mobile phases

Optimization of chiral resolution, using carbon dioxide based mobile phases, must take into consideration the individual contributions of analyte retention, selectivity, and efficiency. Each of these factors may be independently affected by changes in pressure, temperature, or state of the mobile phase. The ability to control retention by different means reflects an advantage of carbon dioxide based mobile phases over conventional HPLC mobile phases. Utilization of this advantage requires that the effects of each of these factors on each contributor to resolution be known. The cumulative effect that each of these variables has on retention, selectivity and efficiency suggests that maximum resolution is obtained using low pressures and temperatures. Maximum resolution (at fixed k′) results from low temperatures and high pressures. The latter may be of more practical importance when speed of analyses and detection limits are considered. Chirality 9:672–677, 1997.