PEGylated Chromatography: Efficient Bioseparation on Silica Monoliths Grafted with Smart Biocompatible Polymers

Abstract

Novel oligo(ethylene glycol)-based thermoresponsive stationary phases have been studied for the separation of bioanalytes. Well-defined copolymers of (2-methoxyethoxy)ethyl methacrylate and oligo(ethylene glycol) methacrylate were synthesized by atom-transfer radical polymerization in the presence of an N-succinimidyl-functionalized initiator. The reactive chain ends of these copolymers were then reacted with amino-functionalized silica monoliths. The formed composites were studied as chromatography materials. For instance, it was demonstrated that thermoresponsive oligo(ethylene glycol)-based stationary phases allow rapid, efficient separation of steroid and protein mixtures in pure water under isocratic high-performance liquid chromatographic elution.