PHOSPHORYLATED POLYSTYRENE RESINS IN HIGH-PERFORMANCE ION-EXCHANGE CHROMATOGRAPHY

Non-porous polystyrene beads were highly substituted with phosphate groups, grafted via spacers on hydroxylated polystyrene. The phosphorylated polystyrene resins exhibit ion-exchange properties that are different to those of the usual stationary phases containing carboxymethyl or sulphopropyl groups. Moreover, the substituted polymers possess high mechanical and chemical stability, hydrophilicity and ion-exchange capacity. Various proteins were fractionated with these phosphorylated resins, packed in high-performance liquid chromatographic columns. The chromatographic separation occurred according to an ion-exchange mechanism; the adsorption of biomolecules was controlled by the pH and ionic strength of the eluent.