Relative efficiency of molecular sieving in solutions of four polymers.
The efficiency of size separations of polystyrene sulfate, 120-1085 nm radius, by molecular sieving in polymer solutions, expressed by the separation efficiency function S = M0 magnitude of dKR(R)/dR Te-KR(R)T [where M0 is the mobility in free solution, KR the retardation coefficient, R the geometric mean radius of the particle, KR(R) the retardation coefficient as a function of R, and the polymer concentration is T] increases from methylhydroxypropyl cellulose to polyvinyl alcohol to uncrosslinked polyacrylamide to agarose above its gelling temperature. Separations of DNA, in the size range of 3-21 nm radius, are by at least one order of magnitude more efficient than those of polystyrene sulfate in the size range of 120-1085 nm radius. A plot of S vs. R in the experimental range of T is constructed for the four polymer solutions; this allows one to select optimal media and concentrations for the sieving of particles in the desired range of molecular sizes.
Chrambach
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Laboratory of Theoretical and Physical Biology, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892.
Aldroubi
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D000180:Acrylic Resins; D002850:Chromatography, Gel; D004247:DNA / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D004591:Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; D065347:Hypromellose Derivatives; D008747:Methylcellulose / Q000031:analogs & derivatives; D010316:Particle Size; D011108:Polymers; D011137:Polystyrenes / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D011142:Polyvinyl Alcohol; D012685:Sepharose; D012996:Solutions; D000099166:Polyacrylamides
D000180:Acrylic Resins; D004247:DNA; D065347:Hypromellose Derivatives; D008747:Methylcellulose; D011108:Polymers; D011137:Polystyrenes; D011142:Polyvinyl Alcohol; D012685:Sepharose; D012996:Solutions; D000099166:Polyacrylamides; C071389:polystyrene sulfate