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Updated: Oct 2, 2026

Capillary Electrophoresis to Monitor Peptide Grafting onto Chitosan Films in Real Time
Published on: October 26, 2016
Employment of detergent-tag/solute interactions in capillary electrophoresis of neutral polysaccharides
Michal Tokarz1, Pär Gustavsson, Morgan Stefansson
1Department of Substance Analysis, AstraZeneca AB, 431 83 Mölndal, Sweden.
Abstract:
Neutral and inherently immobile polysaccharides are induced to migrate in an electric field through interactions with a detergent added to the electrophoretic electrolyte buffer. Before analysis the polysaccharides are converted to fluorescent derivatives to enable detection, but choice of a tag can also be utilized for modulation of the electrophoretic mobility. Three cases are discussed and exemplified, namely detergent-solute, detergent-solute+tag, and detergent-tag interactions. Anionic as well as cationic surfactants were exploited along with different derivatization reagents. Depending on the approach chosen, different kinds of information about sample composition and distribution(s) can be obtained, including degree of substitution, distribution of molecular weight (obtained in free solution without sieving media) and polymer conformation. A shift in polymer conformation upon a change in solvent composition can be monitored.
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