Polymer chromatography - What’s new? Case examples correlating polymer functionality, architecture and material properties
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Advances in size exclusion chromatography allow fast analyses with high resolution. Use of multiple detectors combined with the use of affinity chromatography provides additional knowledge of functional polymers as illustrated by case stories.
Size Exclusion Chromatography of polymers is one of the most common routes to determine the molecular weight of synthetic and natural polymers. In addition, it is arguably the only method allowing determination of molecular weight distributions. However, the technique is limited to soluble polymers. Furthermore, due to time-consuming solvent changes on traditional columns, in practice only relatively few solvents are used, which limits the types of polymers that can be analysed. In addition, analyses are time-consuming and the resolution relatively low.
Here we present our newly acquired state-of-the art equipment, comprising a UPLC system combined with small-particle 'Advanced Polymer Chromatography' columns and with multiple detectors. The system allows rapid analysis, improved resolution and fast solvent changes compared to traditional systems. Through case studies based on on-going work at DPC, we show how the equipment can be used to analyse complex polymers not only with respect to size, but also with respect to polymer geometry, composition and end-group functionality. We give examples on how this knowledge aids in the understanding of materials preparation and properties.
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