The Separation of Polyelectrolyte Using an Electric Field in a Packed Column

Abstract

The effect of electrophoretic convection in a packed column is presented. When an electric field is applied, the conformation of polyelectrolyte quickly orients in the field direction. The convective velocity of polyelectrolyte inside a porous gel particle is accelerated. The dependence of the transport in the gel particle upon field intensity and molecular size aids in understanding the transport of polyelectrolyte in the packed column. To date, few dynamic studies of polyelectrolyte in a porous gel particle have been attempted for the separation of polyelectrolyte in a packed column. A large polyelectrolyte like DNA will separate due to conformation changes in the presence of the electric field. Convective-diffusive transport of DNA is analyzed by physical properties measured experimentally, such as the diffusion coefficient, the electrophoretic convection, and the gel porosity. The purpose of this study is to show how the variation of physicochemical properties in the gel particle affects the separation of DNA from a mixture in a packed column. A theoretical model using the characteristic method is used to calculate the separation point in a packed column.