Metal complex-substituted polysiloxanes as novel coatings for capillary electrophoresis and capillary electrochromatography

Two novel polysiloxane-based polymers, which contain metal complexes, have been prepared. To prepare the Co(TACN)3+(2) (TACN= 1,4,7-triazacyclononane) based polymers, an orthoamide derivative of TACN was added to bromobutane-substituted methylpolysiloxane and hydrolyzed with base. Co(II) was then coordinated to the TACN, followed by cobalt oxidation to make polymer A or followed by N-octyl TACN coordination and cobalt oxidation to make polymer B. In both materials, TACN forms thermodynamically and kinetically stable Co(TACN)3+(2) complexes in which the six coordination sites of the Co(III) are occupied by nitrogens from the TACN. The polymers were coated on fused-silica capillary columns and spherical silica particles, which were used for capillary electrophoresis and capillary electrochromatography, respectively. The open and packed columns showed strong and pH-independent reversed electroosmotic flow.