CAPILLARY ELECTROCHROMATOGRAPHY OF SMALL MOLECULES IN POLYACRYLAMIDE GELS WITH ELECTROOSMOTIC FLOW

Traditionally, polyacrylamide gels have been used as sieving media for the separation of macromolecules such as proteins and polynucleotides. Since these analytes are electrically charged, they can migrate under an applied electric field. In an attempt to separate uncharged analytes, acrylamide (AA)-2-acrylamido-2-methyl-1-propanesulfonic acid (AMPS) copolymers and AA-N,N'-methylenebisacrylamide (BIS)-AMPS copolymers were prepared. These copolymers are dear, UV-transparent gels and give electroosmosis due to the dissociation of the sulfo group. The preparation of the new gels in capillary tubes yielded the separation of comparatively small molecules, which is probably based on a molecular sieving effect.