7. What are the advantages of the new CHIRALPAK® immobilised columns? Should I choose a coated or immobilised column for my application?

Unless there are special circumstances, it is strongly recommended that immobilised columns be used for any application. This is because of their far greater stability in operation than other Daicel chiral columns. Another advantage of immobilised columns is their stability to strong solvents like THF, ethyl acetate, and the chlorinated solvents. This allows development of separations in these solvents which often give different selectivity in comparison with the usual solvent set used for chiral chromatography. Further, in preparative chromatographic applications, the use of such solvents can greatly enhance the sample solubility and thus the potential production rate for the separation. Immobilised columns can be used in normal- and reverse-phase modes.

In circumstances where a conventional, coated column is specified (in a validated procedure where an immobilised column is not yet approved, or when an existing method meets the specs of the separation) it may be appropriate to use coated columns rather than immobilised columns. You can contact us to inquire about our free-of-charge column screening service (see Question 6).