Dendrimer electrokinetic capillary chromatography: unimolecular micellar behaviour of carboxylic acid terminated cascade macromolecules

Abstract

Dendritic (cascade) macromolecules with carboxylic acid terminal moieties are examined as micellar substitutes for the separation of a homologous series of alkyl parabens via electrokinetic capillary chromatography employing aqueous mobile phase conditions; separations using the dendrimers yield excellent efficiency and resolution, while higher generation dendrimers demonstrate enhanced affinity for the parabens relative to lower generation dendrimers and so provide superior separations under identical conditions; the cascades are also shown to be sensitive to solution pH and the technique is extended to the separation of components found in a common cough medicine.