High-Resolution Separation of Oligo(acrylic acid) by Capillary Zone Electrophoresis

Oligo(acrylic acid)s, produced by RAFT polymerization, have been separated and analyzed for the first time by capillary zone electrophoresis. The resolution obtained by capillary electrophoresis in borate buffets is far higher than that currently achieved using size exclusion chromatography. This work demonstrates that capillary electrophoresis is the technique of choice for the characterization of oligomers of acrylic acid and of other water-soluble monomers involved in emulsion polymerization processes. © 2006 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA. Weinheim.