Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have attracted considerable interest due to their unique structure and remarkable properties. Racemic drugs normally contain only one enantiomer that is active, and to get enantiomerically pure drugs to the market is always an urgent task. As promising reagents, chiral selector modified CNTs have been successfully used to separate enantiomers.

Jingang Yu and colleagues, Central South University, China, proposed a novel method to functionalize multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) with hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin (HP-β-CD). These modified multi-walled nanotube samples were fully characterized.

MWCNT-HP-β-CD was used as thin-layer chromatography stationary phase additive to separate clenbuterol enantiomers with satisfactory results. The presence of CNTs permits a higher recognition of enantiomers, so chiral selector modified CNTs have a promising application in resolution of chiral molecules.

• Preparation of Hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin Cross-linked Multi-walled Carbon Nanotubes and Their Application in Enantioseparation of Clenbuterol
  J. Yu, D. Huang, K. Huang, Y. Hong,
  Chinese J. Chem. 2011, 29(5), 893—897.
  DOI: 10.1002/cjoc.201190185