(393ah) Effect of Temperature, Size and Wavelength On Separation of Racemic Solutions

This study involves a new method for separation of racemic mixtures with an important pharmaceutical application. The technique being explored involves creating chiral nanoparticles that will selectively adsorb one enantiomer of a racemic solution, allowing for subsequent differentiation and separation of the enantiomers. Wet chemical synthesis and the use of pressure cells were used to synthesize the nanoparticles and the enantiomer separation took place in solution. Proof of concept work has been completed proving that selective adsorption in solution is possible. Current work has shown that optimization of this process can be used by controlling the size of the nanoparticles, temperature of the solution, as well as the wavelength of the polarimeter used for analysis. Decreasing the size of the nanoparticles, increasing the temperature, and increasing the wavelength of the polarimeter, all prove to enhance the separation and analysis process. The long-term vision of the proposed work is to lay the foundation for the preparation of highly selective and stable chiral nanoparticles and for a better understanding of how novel synthesis methods for nanoparticles can be used to tailor activity and selectivity.