Hig-performance stationary phases for the separation of chiral compounds and carbohydrates by designed grafting of monosized polymer supports

The main objective of this project was the synthesis and evaluation of new high-performance materials for liquid chromatography for the separation of biologically and pharmacologically relevant compounds. For this purpose, new synthetic methods, i. e. new polymerization techniques have been applied. Based on preliminary experiments and data from a previous project, the necessary key-synthetic steps had soon been realized. These basically consist of particular polymerization techniques that allow the exact and highly reproducible attachment of functionalized polymer chains onto a carrier (support). These polymer chains themselves function as carriers for various functional groups (small moieties of molecules) that are necessary in order to achieve separation. Metathesis Polymerization was used throughout. Applying this conceptually and synthetically absolutely novel approach of transition metal-based synthesis, a large variety of new stationary phases for high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) have been synthesized. In terms if support, a large number of PS-DVB- or silica-based chiral stationary phases was realized. These were used for in the separation of enantiomers (separation of chiral compounds that are related to each other by a mirror plane). For these purposes, both amino acid- and cyclodextrin- based stationary phases were used. Based on the same concept, new stationary phases for anion-chromatography have been realized. In this context, materials have been synthesized for the first time that consist of poly(metallocenium)-cations. The corresponding materials have been used successfully in the anion exchange chromatography of oligonucleotides. (oligonucleotides are the building blocks of DNA). A breakthrough was achieved in the area of new sorbents for metal extraction. Thus, sorbents have been realized that may be used in an "on-line" extraction and quantification process of rare- earth elements from complex matrices such as rocks. These materials may also be used in the enrichment of trace amounts of radioactive lanthanides as well as in wastewater clean-up. Finally, the concept of transition metal-catalyzed synthesis was applied to a the generation of a new class of polymeric supports, usually referred to "monolithic media". Besides of generating a new matrix, the traditional problems of functionalization as well as reproducibility in the synthesis of these materials have been solved. "Monoliths" prepared by the new approach turned out to be excellent separation media in BioScience and for Genomics. Thus, proteins, DNA fragments as well as oligonucleotides may be separated on these media within seconds. The great potential of these materials and this chemistry, respectively, turned out to be that promising that these materials are now used in current projects as carriers (supports) for catalyst immobilization.