Influence of Diluents at the Time of Polymerization of Crosslinked Poly (vinyl alcohol) Gels on the Ability of Gel Permeation Chromatography

Abstract

The suspension copolymerization of vinyl acetate with glycidyl methacrylate in the presence of diluents produced porous hydrophobic gels. By subsequent hydrolysis of the gels, porous hydrophilic gels suitable for use in gel permeation chromatography were made. The permeabilities were revealed by eluting water soluble materials, such as ethylene glycol oligomer and dextran covering a wide range of molecular weights, through a column packed with the gels. When alcohols and esters were used as diluents, excluded molecular weights increased gradually with the amounts of the diluents, and peaks of the elution curve were sharp. When hydrocarbons were used as diluents, a maximum value was obtained approximately at 50 percents by volume of diluents to the monomer by plotting excluded molecular weights against amounts of diluents, and peaks of elution curve were broader than those using alcohols and esters as diluents. By using small amounts of diluents, for example 10-20 percents by volume to the monomer, gels suitable to separate low molecular weight materials were obtained