Size-exclusion chromatography of poly(n-alkyl ltaconate)s: Nonexclusion effects

Poly(n-alkyl itaconates) containing long alkyl side chains (comb polymers) are eluted through PS gel in THF at 298 K. Their retention volumes are higher than those predicted by universal calibration, indicating affinity of the polymers for the gel. The distribution coefficient for solute-gel interactions, Kp(Kp > 1), increases with polymer molecular weight. This increase is larger for the polymer bearing the longest n-alkyl side chain and is scarcely sensitive to the presence or absence of free carboxylic groups in the polymer (monoitaconates). This might be due to a balance of the solute-gel and solute-solvent interactions.