High-performance liquid chromatographic separation of enantiomeric alkyl glycerol ethers.

The resolution of a series of racemic 1-alkyl-3-trityl-rac-glycerols and 1-alkyl-2-benzyl-rac-glycerols into their enantiomers by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) was investigated. Of the racemic glycerol derivatives studied, only three (1,2-0-isopropylidene-rac-glycerol, 1,2-0-isopropylidene-3-benzyl-rac-glycerol and 1-hexadecyl-2-benzyl-rac-glycerol) could be resolved into their enantiomers. The compounds were resolved on a silica (10 μm) column coated with cellulose tribenzoate and eluted isocratically with hexane/isopropanol as mobile phase. The effects of mobile phase composition, column temperature and flow rate on the resolution of enantiomeric pairs were investigated. Also, the effect of substituents,i.e., trityl, benzyl, hydroxyl or alkyl, on the resolution of the alkyl glycerol ethers by HPLC was evaluated.