Analytical applications and implications of intramolecular micelle-mimetic ionene aggregates

The synthesis and relevant properties of some cationic polyelectrolytes of the [x,y]-ionene type (i.e., molecules consisting of dimethylammonium charge centers interconnected by alternating alkyl chain segments containing x and y methylene groups) are described. Such hydrophobic ionenes can form intramolecular aggregates and function as micelle-mimetic agents since they mimic the key properties of traditional surfactant micelles (such as hexadecyltrimethylammonium bromide) in many respects. However, the ionenes possess certain important advantages over surfactant micelles. For example, aqueous ionene-containing solutions exhibit much less foaming and analyte molecules can be extracted and recovered from their solutions by use of organic solvents. In this work, some applications of the ionenes in analytical chemistry, such as their use as mobile phase additives for thin-layer chromatographic and capillary electrophoretic separations, as fluorescence enhancement agents, and as a means to catalyze slow spectroscopic derivatization reactions are demonstrated. In addition, other potential advantages concerning the utilization of the micelle-mimetic ionenes in chemical analysis applications are mentioned.