CHARACTERIZATION OF POLYBUTYLACRYLATE-B-POLYVINYLPYRIDINE BLOCK COPOLYMERS BY SIZE-EXCLUSION CHROMATOGRAPHY AND DUAL REFRACTIVE INDEX/UV-DETECTION

An efficient and reliable size exclusion chromatographic (SEC) method has been developed allowing satisfactory insight into distribution of both molecular weight of polybutylacrylate-b-polyvinylpyridine (PBA-b-PVP) block copolymers as well as the relative amount of polyvinylpyridine (PVP) versus polybutylacrylate (PBA) along the molecular weight axis. This aim was accomplished by SEC using a rather new polyester-based GRAM stationary phase support of intermediate polarity and a polar eluent system of N,N-dimethylacetamide containing small amounts of lithium bromide and acetic acid for extensive suppression of adsorptive solute-stationary phase interactions.