High-performance anion-exchange chromatography of homogeneous D-gluco-oligosaccharides and -polysaccharides (polymerization degree greater than or equal to 50) with pulsed amperometric detection.

High-performance anion-exchange chromatography under alkaline conditions with pulsed amperometric detection was applied to the analyses of (1----2)-, (1----3)-, (1----4)- and (1----6)-linked homogeneous alpha- or beta-D-gluco-oligosaccharides and -polysaccharides up to a degree of polymerization (DP) of greater than or equal to 50. Each series of homogeneous D-gluco-oligomers and -polymers showed a linear relationship between log k' and DP in isocratic elution using 150 mM sodium hydroxide solution containing 100 mM sodium acetate as the eluent. An effective separation of individual members of an homologous series of linear glucans was achieved using gradient elution, accomplished by maintaining the sodium hydroxide concentration at 150 mM and increasing the sodium acetate concentration during the analysis. The detector response per HCOH group in D-gluco-oligomers (DP 2-7) was almost the same.