Size exclusion chromatography of quantum dots by utilizing nanoparticle repelling surface of concentrated polymer brush

Abstract

We have found that the concentrated poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) brush showed the very good nanoparticles (NPs) repellency in its good solvent, e.g. tetrahydrofuran (THF). Whereas the oil- and hydro-phobic (fluorinated), hydrophobic and hydrophilic surfaces adsorbed a lot of NPs. The repellency of NPs did not depend on the surface nature of the NPs. Preparing absorption free columns for size exclusion chromatography (SEC) may enable us to separate quantum dots (QDs) and NPs according to their size. By installing the concentrated PMMA brush into silica monolith columns, we tried to achieve SEC of QDs and NPs. The concentrated PMMA brush immobilized silica monolith columns were prepared by surface initiated atom transfer polymerization of MMA. As a result, we have succeeded in separating QDs according to their size. This SEC system may be advantageous because it can be used in good solvents of the brush regardless of the stability of the surface modifier layer on the NPs.