Cyclic polymers exhibit many interesting physical properties distinct from linear polymers such as chain dimensions, hydrodynamic properties, and viscoelastic properties, etc. Various synthetic approaches have been used to prepare cyclic polymers but it is hardly possible to obtain pure cyclic polymers free from various side products. Size exclusion chromatography (SEC) has been used mostly to characterize and purify the cyclic polymers from the side products exploiting the chain size difference of cyclic polymers from its linear precursor. However, it is practically impossible to resolve the cyclic polymers from its linear precursor completely due to the MW distribution of the polymers and the band broadening of SEC. Therefore, even the precise assessment of the purity of cyclic polymer has not been possible that sometimes leads to conflicting results of the physical properties of the cyclic polymers.<br/>More critical assessment of the purity of the cyclic polymer has become possible with the use of liquid chromatography at critical condition (LCCC). At the critical adsorption point (CAP), the exclusion effect and the adsorptive interaction effect of a polymer with porous stationary phase is compensated and the molecular weight dependency of polymer retention disappears. At the CAP, the separation between a cyclic polymer and its linear precursor is maximized allowing a full resolution of the two. In this presentation, the LCCC purification of cyclic polymers and physical properties of the purified cyclic polymers will be discussed.

Purification and characterization of cyclic polymers

255th National Meeting (2018)

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