The distributions of the adsorption energies (AED) of two enantiomers, (R)-1- indanol and (S)-1-indanol, on a chiral stationary phase were measured and the results are discussed. The chiral phase used is made of cellulose tribenzoate coated on porous silica. The AEDs were determined using the expectation maximization method, a numerical method that uses directly the raw experimental isotherm data, inverts this set of data into an AED, and introduces no arbitrary information in the calculation. However, it uses the Langmuir equation as the local isotherm. The experimental data fit very well to the bi-Langmuir isotherm model for the more retained enantiomer. Our results show that the AEDs of these two enantiomers have no energy modes that would be identical (same mean energy, mode profile, and mode area), in contrast to numerous cases previously studied, e.g., that of the beta-blockers on a Cel7A column. This indicates a significantly different retention mechanism.

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