Enantiomers of 4'-methoxyflavanone, 5-methoxyflavanone and 6- methoxyflavanone were separated on four self-prepared coated-type cellulose derivative chiral columns (CTB, CTMB, CTPC and CDMPC). On CTB, 5-methoxyflavanone and 6-methoxyflavanone were not separated but 4'-methoxyflavanone was nearly base-line separated. However, the enantioseparation of 4'-methoxyflavanone on CTMB was the worst compared with that of other two flavanones, both of which were nearly base-line separated on CTMB. 5-Methoxyflavanone was completely separated on CTPC while the other two methoxyflavanones just reached or a little more than half-peak separation on CTPC. The enantioseparation of 4'-methoxyflavanone was also the worst on CDMPC compared with that of the other two flavanones, but the mobile phase composition greatly influences the enantioseparation of methoxyflavanones on CDMPC. All of those three methoxyflavanones were satisfactorily separated on CDMPC when tert-butanol was used as the alcohol modifier in the mobile phase. The results show that JT-TT interaction might act an important factor in the enantioseparation of! the methoxyflavanones on the cellulose-based CSPs. However, the influence of alcohol modifiers in mobile phase on the enantioseparation of the methoxyflavanones with CDMPC column suggests that the hydrogen-bond interaction is also very important for the enantioseparation of all those three methoxyflavanones on CDMPC.

Key words: FLAVANONE, STATIONARY PHASE, CELLULOSE, CARBAMIC ACID ESTER, MOBILE PHASE