Description Application Cyclodextrins (CD) are cyclic oligosaccharides composed of D-glucose units connected via α(1→4) glycosidic bonds. Common cyclodextrins contain six (α-CD); seven (β-CD) or eight (gamma-CD) D-glucose units. Cyclodextrins are sometimes derivitized through esterification at positions two, three and/or six. Succinyl-β-cyclodextrin and carboxymethyl-β-cyclodextrin are used as chiral selective agents in capillary electrophoresis for the separation of di- and tri-peptide enantiomers and catechin enantiomers. Succinyl-β-cyclodextrin is used to optimize analysis of PNA-DNA duplexes with diethylthiadicarbocyanine dye.