Cyclodextrin-Functionalised Nanomaterials for Enantiomeric Recognition

Cyclodextrins, which are glucose-based cyclic oligosaccharides, are materials that can act inherently as chiral selectors, with many reports of the application of cyclodextrins in enantioseparation. However, many studies have encountered the problem of insufficient enantioselective performance of the chiral selector. One of the main reasons is due to low surface concertation's, whereby interaction between the chiral selector and analyte usually occurs at a surface. Thus, scientists have been trying for the last two decades to overcome this problem, with the incorporation of nanomaterials being promising as they possess a large surface area which allows for the accommodation of a higher concentration of the chiral selectors. Herein, we outline nanomaterial-cyclodextrin conjugates that work in tandem to achieve or enhance enantioselectivity through various methods such as chromatography, adsorption, and removal using magnetic nanoparticles, or enantiorecognition using electrochemical techniques.