HP-INNOWAX COLUMN

Hi D.Tobias 

Yes, chloroform can be the solvent for WAX columns! To analyze monomer PHB you will need to derivatize for GC.

GPC/SEC is best indicated for the entire polymer

Thank you!

Hi D.Tobias,

just to be clear you cannot analyze PHB with GC unless you use Pyrolysis-GC or, as Mariana already mentioned, you only analyze the monomer.

For the monomer determination you have to split the polymer into the monomers by acidolysis and then derivatize the acid with methanol to the methyl ester. This is often done in a single step: PHB in chloroform plus methanol plus sulfuric acid, 50 °C for up to 2 days, removing the acid, dry the extract with sodium sulfate and then inject into a GC. A Wax column wouldn't be my first choice as apolar phases will work perfectly.

Please see these articles for the process:

• https://doi.org/10.21769/BioProtoc.2748
• https://doi.org/10.1016/j.egypro.2017.10.195

For pyrolysis: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2021.01.108

Oh, and to answer your first question chloroform can be injected in GC as long as there is no condensation in the phase.

Regards,

Norbert