Chiral Ionic Liquids as Stationary Phases in Electrophoretic Separations

Ionic liquids (ILs) are exceptional solvents having melting points at or below 100 0C. They are completely made up of ions, often consisting of an organic cation and an inorganic or organic anion. ILs having chiral moiety are referred to as chiral ionic liquids (CILs). Cations, anions, or both can be chiral in CILs. A CIL can have chiral azolinium, imidazolium, ammonium, or pyridinium as its chiral cationic component. Lactic acid, borate, or camphor sulfonate are some examples of the chiral anion. CILs have recently been used in electrophoretic techniques in different forms, such as chiral ligands, background electrolyte (BGE) additives, chiral selectors, and chiral stationary phases for the separation of chiral compounds. As they integrate the benefits of ILs and the features of a chiral moiety, they are thought to be particularly fascinating in chiral investigation. Notably, the use of CILs as chiral selectors offers advantages over other chiral selectors whose employment is typically constrained by a few issues, such as high-temperature instability, high UV absorptivity, complex synthetic methodologies, low solubility, and expensive nature. Therefore, it is crucial to consider how CILs can be used as solvents and chiral selectors. In this chapter, the diverse applications of chiral ionic liquids as stationary phases in electrophoretic separations are discussed in detail.