Microspherical polystyrene-divinylbenzene particles hybridized with eremomycin stabilized gold nanoparticles as a stationary phase for chiral liquid chromatography

A novel enantioselective adsorbent was obtained by hybridization of microspherical polystyrene-divinylbenzene (PS-DVB) macroporous particles with eremomycin-stabilized gold nanoparticles (GNPs). Macrocyclic antibiotic eremomycin was used as a stabilization agent to obtain GNPs which were then characterized by transmission electron microscope. The average diameter of obtained nanoparticles is about 16.6 nm. Eremomycin-stabilized nanoparticles were successfully embedded into the porous polymer structure with a resulting chiral selector content of 37.5 pmol/g. The obtained PS-DVB composite containing GNPs with immobilized eremomycin was studied by scanning electron microscopy and diffuse reflectance spectroscopy. The values of the specific surface area (500 m2/g) and porosity of the adsorbent (0.39 cm3/g) are measured using nitrogen adsorption at low temperatures. The obtained composite material was used as a chiral stationary phase of liquid chromatography. A good separation enantio-selectivity to amino acids, their derivatives and beta-blockers under RPC (reversed-phase) and HILIC (Hidrophilic Interaction Liquid Chromatography) mode is demonstrated. The results obtained revealed that the prepared Eremo@GNP@PS-DVB composite is promising for use as a stationary phase in HPLC.