Copolymerized polymeric surfactants: characterization and application in micellar electrokinetic chromatography

An achiral monomeric surfactant (sodium 10-undecenyl sulfate, SUS) and a chiral surfactant (sodium 10-undecenoyl L-leucinate, SUL) were synthesized and polymerized individually to form poly-SUS and poly-SUL. These surfactants were then copolymerized at various molar ratios to produce a variety of copolymerized surfactants (CoPSs), possessing both achiral (sulfate) and chiral (leucinate) head groups. The CoPSs, poly-SUS, poly-SUL, and sodium dodecyl sulfate were characterized using several analytical techniques. The aggregation numbers of the polymeric surfactants and the partial specific volumes were determined by the use of fluorescence quenching and density measurements, respectively. These polymeric surfactants were investigated as novel pseudostationary phases in micellar electrokinetic chromatography (MEKC) for the separation of chiral and achiral solutes. Solute hydrophobicity was found to have major influence on the MEKC retention of alkyl phenyl ketones. In contrast, hydrogen-bonding ability of benzodiazepines is the major factor that governs their retention, but hydrophobicity has an insignificant effect on MEKC retention of benzodiazepines.