Title | Size exclusion chromatography does not require pores |
Publication Type | Journal Article |
Year of Publication | 2000 |
Authors | Brooks, DE, Haynes, CA, Hritcu, D, Steels, BM, Muller, W |
Journal | Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America |
Volume | 97 |
Pagination | 7064-7067 |
Date Published | Jun |
Type of Article | Article |
ISBN Number | 0027-8424 |
Keywords | CHAINS, MODEL |
Abstract | Separation of macromolecules on the basis of their molecular weight by size exclusion chromatography has long been considered to be caused by the geometry-dependent partition of macromolecules between a continuous phase and the porous interior of a gel or cross-linked bead. The volume of a pore accessible to a solute is limited by its relative dimensions, so larger molecules will have access to a smaller volume and will remain in a bead for a shorter time than smaller solutes. Our recent alternate picture proposes that the partition coefficient can be calculated from a thermodynamic model for the free energy of mixing of the solute with the gel phase. Size-dependent exclusion caused by the unfavorable entropy of mixing associated with the partition is predicted; the magnitude of the effect is modified by enthalpic: interactions between the solute and the gel phase. This concept is extended here to describe the partition of macromolecules into a layer of terminally attached polymer chains grafted onto a solid bead. Both simple mean field and self-consistent field theory calculations predict size-dependent entropic exclusion, Experimental results obtained with neutral polymer chains grafted onto solid polystyrene latex beads confirm the predictions. |
URL | <Go to ISI>://000087811600027 |
