Improved separation of polyethylene glycols widely differing in molecular weight range by reversed-phase high performance liquid chromatography and evaporative light scattering detection

Polyethylene glycols (PEGs) of nominal molecular weight (M) 200, 400, 600, 1000, 1500, 3000, 4000 and 6000 were chosen as model compounds and subjected to reversed-phase high performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC) on an octadecasilyl silica gel (C-18) stationary phase using a binary gradient composed of acetonitrile and water and evaporative light scattering detection (ELSD). Satisfactory resolution of oligomers up to M of 3000 was accomplished; the higher M samples PEG-4000 and PEG-6000 could not be further resolved into the constituent oligomers and therefore, M = 4000 marks the upper limit of oligomer resolution. Despite some peak overlapping as a consequence of the more or less broad oligomer distribution, individual types of PEG samples can be distinguished from each other by their characteristic chromatographic fingerprint patterns, as shown with a mixture consisting of PEG-400, PEG-1000, PEG-3000, PEG-4000 and PEG-6000. For this reason, the method is well-suited for characterization of samples containing PEGs widely differing in M. In addition, matrix assisted laser desorption ionization time of flight mass spectroscopy (MALDI-TOF/MS) performed with PEG-600, PEG-1000 and PEG-3000 revealed that the optimum degree of oligomer resolution has been achieved by use of the present method.