Conformational effect of silica-supported poly(octadecyl acrylate) on molecular-shape selectivity of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in RP-HPLC.

Poly(octadecyl acrylate) with a terminal reactive group was synthesized by radical telomerization in various solvents. The polymers were grafted onto porous silica for use in RP-HPLC, and the molecular recognition ability was investigated along with the selectivity for the structural isomers of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. The mechanism of selectivity was also investigated with differential scanning calorimetry and NMR spectroscopic observations.