POLYACRYLAMIDE-MODIFIED POLYPROPYLENE HOLLOW FIBERS FOR CAPILLARY ELECTROPHORESIS

Surface treatment methods were developed for bonding of a polyacrylami de layer on the inside surface of polypropylene hollow fiber columns f or capillary electrophoresis. Details of different modification proced ures involving surface activation and in situ polymerization, using dy namic and static coating of reagents, are described. Both linear and c ross-linked polyacrylamide modified surfaces greatly improved the elec trophoretic performance of the capillaries. The column efficiencies fo r model proteins reached as high as 370,000 theoretical plates on an 8 5 mu m i.d. polyacrylamide surface-treated polypropylene hollow fiber column. A variety of applications, including the separation of several very polar compounds at a pH of 10.6, were demonstrated. Reproducibil ity measurements were used to illustrate the performance and high pH s tability of the resultant columns.