Liquid chromatographic resolution of 1-aryl-1,2,3,4-tetrahydroisoquinolines on a chiral stationary phase based on (+)-(18-crown-6)-2,3,11,12-tetracarboxylic acid

A liquid chromatographic chiral stationary phase (CSP) based on (+)-(18-crown-6)-2,3,11,12-tetracarboxylic acid was applied for the first time to the resolution of biologically important 1-aryl-1,2,3,4-tetrahydroisoquinolines. The unusual resolution of cyclic secondary amino compounds on a chiral crown ether-based CSP was quite successful with the use of a mixture of methanol–acetonitrile–triethylamine at a ratio of 30/70/0.5 (v/v/v) as a mobile phase. From the chromatographic behaviours for the resolution of seven 1-aryl-1,2,3,4-tetrahydroisoquinolines, the steric bulkiness of the 1-phenyl ring at the chiral center of analytes was concluded to play an important role in the chiral recognition.