Recent advances in preparation and applications of monolithic chiral stationary phases

Chiral separation remains a very important topic in different fields of analytical chemistry such as pharmaceutical, agrochemical, environmental and food analysis. Over the last 20 years, various chiral monoliths, based on chiral selectors such as cyclodextrins and their derivatives, polysaccharide derivatives, proteins, antibiotics, chiral ligands, cinchona alkaloids and amino acid derivatives, as well as molecularly imprinted polymers, have been developed for the enantioseparation of a wide range of analytes. The present review summarizes the recent developments of monolithic chiral stationary phases (CSPs) with particular emphasis on their classification and preparation. The major challenges and future prospects of monolithic CSPs are also briefly discussed.