gelpermeatio
Gelpermeatio, in Dutch, refers to gel permeation chromatography (GPC), a form of size-exclusion chromatography used to characterize polymers by molecular weight distribution. In GPC, a solution of polymer is injected into a column packed with porous beads. The separation occurs because molecules diffuse into pores: large molecules access fewer pores and move through the column more quickly, while small molecules access more pores and elute later. The eluent is detected, commonly with refractive index detectors, UV detectors, or light-scattering detectors. When combined with multi-angle light scattering (MALS) or viscometry, GPC provides information about molecular weight and intrinsic viscosity in addition to distribution.
Calibration uses polymer standards of known molecular weight, typically polystyrene or PMMA, in the same solvent
Applications include determination of molecular weight averages Mn and Mw and the polydispersity index Mw/Mn, assessment
Limitations include sensitivity to solvent quality, sample solubility, and column aging; non-ideal interactions between polymer and