title: Ethylene oxide and propylene oxide random copolymer/sodium chloride aqueous two-phase systems: wetting and adsorption on dodecyl-agarose and polystyrene.
abstract: Liquid/liquid partition chromatography is a mild yet powerful separation method for a variety of biological materials. This work demonstrates that it should be feasible to immobilize an ethylene oxide-propylene oxide (EO/PO) random copolymer solution and to use a solution of NaCl equilibrated against the polymer solution as the mobile-phase (poly (EO-PO) [P(EO-PO)] and NaCl form two aqueous phases known as aqueous two-phase systems). Three random copolymers with different molecular weights and EO/PO ratios were used. Dodecyl-agarose and polystyrene were tested as possible supports. The wetting energies of the aqueous two-phase systems on these two kinds of surfaces were calculated as well as contact angles for each phase on the same surfaces. Finally, the thickness of P(EO-PO) adsorption layers on polystyrene lattices were measured by dynamic light scattering. Contact angle measurements indicate that indeed some EO/PO copolymers preferentially wet hydrophobic substrates, forming thin films.
authors.affiliation: Chemical Engineering Department, University of Missouri-Rolla, Rolla, Missouri 65409, USA.
authors.forename: Yingqing
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Forciniti
mesh_terms: D000327:Adsorption; D002853:Chromatography, Liquid / Q000379:methods; D004852:Epoxy Compounds / Q000737:chemistry*; D005027:Ethylene Oxide / Q000737:chemistry*; D008956:Models, Chemical; D008970:Molecular Weight; D011137:Polystyrenes / Q000737:chemistry; D012685:Sepharose / Q000737:chemistry; D012965:Sodium Chloride / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000737:chemistry*; D012996:Solutions; D013500:Surface Tension; D014867:Water / Q000737:chemistry*; D017155:Wettability
chemical_list: D004852:Epoxy Compounds; D011137:Polystyrenes; D012996:Solutions; D014867:Water; D012965:Sodium Chloride; D012685:Sepharose; D005027:Ethylene Oxide; C009068:propylene oxide