Gel permeation chromatography (GPC) for organometallic and organic polymer analysis

很少有科学发现像合成聚合物那样彻底改变我们的世界。通过将小分子连接在一起形成长链或网络，它们的性质完全改变，导致我们生活中每一分钟都会遇到用于食品安全包装、制造和电子产品、医疗应用和设备的材料。聚合物和塑料分子设计的新前沿包括通过加入金属离子(铁、钚或钴)或光敏基团(如卟啉或香豆素)来创造聚合物。这些新型聚合物可用于各种应用，如化学传感器、分子电线和电池、光敏染料、能量存储装置、药物输送系统、化学催化过程和高温陶瓷。支持的研究的目标是开发系统的方法来合理设计和合成针对这些医疗和工业应用的新型高分子和聚合物材料。本提案中描述的凝胶渗透色谱系统使确定聚合物材料的尺寸成为可能，是最广泛使用的聚合物表征方法。这种分析对聚合物科学的任何方面都是必不可少的，因为聚合物的尺寸决定了材料的许多其他物理性质。

Few scientific discoveries have transformed our world as completely as that of synthetic polymers.  By linking together small molecules into long chains or networks, their properties are completely altered, resulting in materials encountered every minute of our lives for the safe packaging of food, for manufacturing and electronics, for medical applications and equipment.New frontiers on the molecular design of polymers and plastics include the creation of polymers with the incorporation of metal ions (iron, ruthenium, or cobalt) or light-sensitive groups (such as porphyrins or coumarins).  These new kinds of polymers can be used in diverse applications such as in chemical sensors, in molecular wires and batteries, photosensitive dyes, energy storage devices, in drug delivery systems, chemical catalysis processes, and in high-temperature ceramics.  The goal of the supported research is to develop systematic approaches to the rational design and synthesis of novel macromolecular and polymeric materials targeted at these medical and industrial applications.The Gel Permeation Chromatography system described in this proposal makes it possible to determine the size of a polymeric material, and is the most widely used method of polymer characterization.  Such analysis is essential to any aspect of polymer science, because the size of a polymer determines many of the other physical properties of the material.