Gel permeation chromatography (GPC) is a type of size exclusion chromatography (SEC) that separates analytes by size, usually in organic solvents. This technique is often used for the analysis of polymers. As a technique, the SEC was developed in 1955 by Lathe and Ruthven.
It is important to consider the dispersion (D) and the molecular weight when characterizing the polymers. Polymers can be characterized by various molecular weight definitions, including number average molecular weight (Mn), weight average molecular weight (Mw), average molecular weight size (Mz), or molecular viscosity weight (Mv)
Application:
In our laboratory, we use this technique to determine the distribution and size of polymers and biopolymers.
