Size-exclusion chromatography is used for analysing high molar mass compounds, such as synthetic polymers, bio-polymers, like proteins and antibodies, polysaccharides and other high molar-massed samples. In SEC we can separate between the so-called GFC (Gel Filtration Chromatography) and the GPC (Gel Permeation Chromatography). GFC is using aqueous solvents and salt and GPC is using organic solvent. The separation is being done at different hydrodynamic radius between the sample’s species. Large molecules elute earlier compared to small molecules because larger ones cannot intrude in many pores as they are simply too large. In order to get molecular weight and molecular weight distribution you need either a calibration with known molar mass standards or a Multi Angle Light scattering detector (MALS) for absolute molar mass measurements.
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