[namt]

I want to purify poly(ethylenegylcol)methacrylate of the inhibitor monomethylether hydroquinone using a neutral alumina column. Should i use a solvent non solvent for this or the polymer will directly pass through the column.

[Mitch]

You could do size exclusion chromatography if your contaminant is a small molecule.

[P]

SEC is OK for small scale, but the column or distillation will be better for larger preps.  I'm not sure about your specific polymer, but can you try a small bit to see if it passes  -  if so then OK, if not then try with the solvent?

[DrCMS]

Why do you need to remove the inhibitor?

[P]

Normally it's the monomers that are inhibited (removal is so that polymerisation can take place). I'm not sure why the polymer would need an inhibitor. Perhaps to stop further branching, crosslinking or other side reactions  -  if so he may want to remove it to do a block copolymerisation, induce branching etc..

Personally I really only thought that the starting monomer would need an inhibitor. 

[HP]

Its more practical to remove  inhibitor from the monomer before doing polymerization. Vaccum distilation is often used for that purpose...

[P]

Yea, It's not a good idea to leave it in the monomer - the polymerisation will be effected badly by the presence of the inhibitor. If you can get it to work at all the polydispersities and molecular weights would be pretty random. Pure monomer will be needed to make decent well defined samples and to get any meaningful rate data.

[HP]

Indeed!

[wmx2046]

Vaccum distilation !