ABSTRACT:Five estrogens (2-hydroxyestrone, 2-methoxyestradiol, estrone, estriol, and 17␣-estradiol) and two stereoisomers (17␣-and 17-estradiol) have been successfully separated using capillary electrophoresis with anionic sulfobutyl ether -cyclodextrin (SBE--CD). The SBE--CD used in the separation was a mixture of positional and regional isomers containing from 1 to 10 sulfobutyl ether groups with an average degree of substitution of four per cyclodextrin; thus, a tetra-SBE substituted CD, SBE[4]--CD, has been chosen as the model host molecule in the present study. Relative to the position of the cavity, three initial arrangements of the 4 SBE groups, 0-, 2-, and 4-up, have been considered. In addition two types of inclusion complexes, cis and trans orientations, are also considered for each estrogen. In the cis structure the SBE group of the cyclodextrin and the phenol group of the estrogen are on the same side, while in the trans structure the two groups are on opposite sides. The objective of the present study is to perform PM3 (Parametric Method 3) semiempirical molecular orbital calculations on these six inclusion complexes (12 different orientations) for each SBE[4]--CD to correlate the migration order with their relative stability. Theoretical calculations have shown that only when SBE groups are perpendicular to the axis of CD (0-up arrangement), the cavity is open on both sides for incoming guest molecules. A correlation was observed between the total heats of formation for the cis and trans estrogen-CD inclusion complexes of the same estrogen and the electrophoretic migration time although the relationship is not linear, suggesting that both orientations may occur simultaneously. In other two SBE[4]--CDs, the narrower side of the cavity is partially capped due to the formation of intra-hydrogen bonds among three of the four SBE groups. Thus, a guest molecule can enter the cavity from the wide end of the cavity only. As a result, the estrogen molecules protrude from the cavity in most cases.