Chiral Metal–Organic Framework d-His-ZIF-8@SiO2 Core–Shell Microspheres Used for HPLC Enantioseparations

Chiral metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) have aroused great attention in the chiral separation field based on their excellent characteristics, including abundant topological structures, large surface area, adjustable pore/channel sizes, multiple active sites, and good chemical stability. However, the irregular morphology and nonuniformity of the synthesized MOF particles cause low column efficiency and high column backpressure for MOF-packed columns, which significantly affects their separation performance. Herein, we prepared a homochiral d-his-ZIF-8@SiO₂ composite by growing of d-his-ZIF-8 on the carboxylic-functionalized SiO₂ microspheres via a simple one-pot synthesis approach. The d-his-ZIF-8@SiO₂ core-shell microspheres with uniform particles and narrow size distribution were applied as the chiral stationary phase (CSP) for enantioseparations in HPLC. Various racemates were separated on the d-his-ZIF-8@SiO₂-packed columns with n-hexane/isopropanol as the mobile phase. Eighteen racemates including alcohol, phenol, amine, ketone, and organic acid were well resolved on the homochiral d-his-ZIF-8@SiO₂ CSP. The d-his-ZIF-8@SiO₂ core-shell microspheres' CSP possesses an excellent chiral resolution ability toward various racemic compounds with good reproducibility and stability. Hence, the fabrication of chiral MOF@SiO₂ core-shell microspheres is an effective strategy to improve the application of homochiral MOFs as CSPs in the field of chromatography.