Examination of the universality of the calibration curve of size exclusion chromatography by using polymers having complex macromolecular architectures

The validity of the universal calibration curve (UCC) in size exclusion chromatography (SEC) was tested by using polymers having complex macromolecular architectures such as miktoarm stars (mu-stars) (PS)(2)PI, (PS)(2)PBd, (PI)(3)PS, (PS-PI)(2)(PI-PS)(2), (PS)(PI)(PBd), (PS)(PI)(PBd)(P4MeS), H-shaped (PI)(2)PS(PI)(2), and pi-shaped (PS) (PI) PI(PS) (PI), as well as a model linear tetrablock copolymer of the PS-PI-PS-PI type, where PS is polystyrene, PBd polybutadiene, PI polyisoprene, and P4MeS is poly(4-methyl styrene). It was found that the universality of the relation of log(M[eta]) vs. peak elution volume (V-e), where M is molecular weight and [eta] is intrinsic viscosity, is valid even for these complex molecules. The determination of the molecular weight of a polymer by using the UCC is very sensitive to the molecular and compositional homogeneity of the sample.