Separation of parent homopolymers from polystyrene-b-poly(ethylene oxide)-b-polystyrene triblock copolymers by means of liquid chromatography: 1. comparison of different methods.

Separation of parent homopolymers, polystyrene and poly(ethylene oxide), from the triblock copolymer polystyrene-b-poly(ethylene oxide)-b-polystyrene was investigated by means of liquid chromatography techniques. Overall suitability was evaluated and compared for size exclusion chromatography, (SEC), liquid chromatography under critical conditions of enthalpic interactions (LC CC), and liquid chromatography under limiting conditions of desorption (LC LCD). Among these techniques, LC LCD was the only one able to fully separate block copolymers from both their parent homopolymers in one single run. The efficiency of the separation was proven by (1)H NMR analysis of previously collected fractions.