Chiral determination of amphetamine and related compounds using chloroformates for derivatization and high-performance liquid chromatography

The enantiomeric determination of amphetamine and various amphetamine-type compounds by liquid chromatography after chiral derivatization with 9-fluorenylmethyl chloroformate-L-proline (FMOC-L-Pro) is reported. The results obtained were compared with those achieved after achiral derivatization with 9-fluorenylmethyl chloroformate and subsequent separation of the derivatives on a beta-cyclodextrin chiral stationary phase. Conditions for the derivatization of amphetamines with FMOC-L-Pro were investigated, including the effect of the derivatization reagent concentration, pH and reaction time, using amphetamine, ephedrine and pseudoephedrine as model compounds. On the basis of these studies, possible conditions for the determination of each amphetamine are indicated. To demonstrate the utility of the proposed procedures, data on linearity, repeatability and sensitivity are given. Results of the determination of ephedrine enantiomers in different pharmaceutical samples are also presented.