CHARACTERIZATION OF DEXTRANS BY SIZE-EXCLUSION CHROMATOGRAPHY ON UNMODIFIED SILICA-GEL COLUMNS, WITH LIGHT-SCATTERING DETECTION, AND CAPILLARY ELECTROPHORESIS WITH LASER-INDUCED FLUORESCENCE DETECTION

Unmodified silica gel size-exclusion columns were used in an on-line c ombination with light-scattering detection for a size characterization of dextrans. The influence of electrostatic interactions on analyte r etention was briefly investigated. Size-exclusion chromatography was a lso used for evaluation of the fluorescence labeling procedure for dex trans with 8-aminonaphthalene-1,3,6-trisulfonic acid. The derivatives obtained through this procedure were used for electrophoretic measurem ents with laser-induced fluorescence detection. A comparison between t he size-exclusion data and capillary electrophoresis indicates that th e effectiveness of fluorescent labeling decreases with molecular mass of the dextran analytes. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science B.V.