Chiral Metal–Organic Framework <scp>d</scp>-His-ZIF-8@SiO<sub>2</sub> Core–Shell Microspheres Used for HPLC Enantioseparations
Yunyan Yu, Nayan Xu, Jun‐Hui Zhang, Bang‐Jin Wang, Sheng‐Ming Xie, Li‐Ming Yuan
Abstract
Chiral metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) have aroused great attention in the chiral separation field based on their excellent characteristics, including abundant topological structures, large surface area, adjustable pore/channel sizes, multiple active sites, and good chemical stability. However, the irregular morphology and nonuniformity of the synthesized MOF particles cause low column efficiency and high column backpressure for MOF-packed columns, which significantly affects their separation performance. Herein, we prepared a homochiral d-his-ZIF-8@SiO2 composite by growing of d-his-ZIF-8 on the carboxylic-functionalized SiO2 microspheres via a simple one-pot synthesis approach. The d-his-ZIF-8@SiO2 core–shell microspheres with uniform particles and narrow size distribution were applied as the chiral stationary phase (CSP) for enantioseparations in HPLC. Various racemates were separated on the d-his-ZIF-8@SiO2-packed columns with n-hexane/isopropanol as the mobile phase. Eighteen racemates including alcohol, phenol, amine, ketone, and organic acid were well resolved on the homochiral d-his-ZIF-8@SiO2 CSP. The d-his-ZIF-8@SiO2 core–shell microspheres’ CSP possesses an excellent chiral resolution ability toward various racemic compounds with good reproducibility and stability. Hence, the fabrication of chiral MOF@SiO2 core–shell microspheres is an effective strategy to improve the application of homochiral MOFs as CSPs in the field of chromatography.