Copper(II)-iminodiacetic acid chelating resin as a stationary phase in the immobilized metal ion affinity chromatography of some aromatic amines.

Styrene-divinylbenzene copolymer 60-80 mesh was used as the matrix and ground to a reasonable particle size in a colloid mill. Small and uniform particles (5-15 microns) can be obtained in a laboratory-made continuous acetone elutriation device. After elutriation the iminodiacetic acid (IDA) chelating resin was synthesized, and the infrared spectrum of the product indicated that the synthetic reaction is effective. The Cu(II)-modified IDA chelating resin was used as a stationary phase in high-performance immobilized metal ion affinity chromatography, packed into a column by the high-pressure slurry-packing technique. Methanol, to which ammonia was added as a competitive ligand, was used as the mobile phase for the separation of aromatic amines. The retention value of aromatic amines depends mainly on their basicity and molecular size. The results showed that some aromatic amines can be separated with the Cu(II)-IDA column.