Composition and Molecular Weight Determination of Aqueous Two-phase System by Quantitative Size Exclusion Chromatography

Quantitative size exclusion chromatography (SEC) was exploited to study the composition, molecular weight and molecular weight distribution of aqueous two-phase system of dextran and poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) following phase separation. Tie lines constructed by SEC method were compared with the cloud point curve of the system obtained by titration. An excellent agreement was found between the tie line end points and the cloud point, except for the data points of the PEG-rich phases close to the critical point. The molecular weight and molecular weight distribution of the two polymer species in two co-existing phases obtained by SEC indicate that the mismatch is caused by the uneven distribution of macromolecular components between two phases upon phase separation. Having a broad molecular weight distribution, dextran in the two phases show prominent molecular mass difference. The molecular weight of dextran in the dextran-rich phase is significantly higher than that in the PEG-rich phase. As the initial polymer concentration of the system increases, the molecular weight difference of dextran in the two phases becomes more significant. However, we have not observed such a trend for PEG because of its narrow molecular weight distribution. Accurate data on the phase diagram and molecular weight of two polymer components in the co-existing phases can be obtained using quantitative SEC. The above results will not only help to understand the phase diagram of dextran-PEG-water ternary system, but also provide guidance to its application in extraction and separation of biological materials.