Editing Size-exclusion chromatography (section)

{{Short description|Chromatographic method in which dissolved molecules are separated by their size & molecular weight}}
{{Infobox chemical analysis
| name = Size-exclusion chromatography
| image = Akta Pure SEC systems.jpg
| caption =Equipment for running size-exclusion chromatography. The buffer is pumped through the column (left).
| acronym = SEC
| classification =[[Chromatography]]
| analytes = [[macromolecule]]s<br>[[synthetic polymer]]s<br>[[biomolecule]]s
| manufacturers =Cytiva, Bio-Rad, Bio-Works, emp Biotech, Knauer, Phenomenex.
| related = [[High-performance liquid chromatography]]<br>[[Aqueous normal-phase chromatography]]<br>[[Ion exchange chromatography]]<br>[[Micellar liquid chromatography]]
| hyphenated =
}}
'''Size-exclusion chromatography''', also known as '''molecular sieve chromatography''',<ref name="Biochemistry">{{cite book|title=Biochemistry|last1=Garrett|first1=Reginald H.|last2=Grisham|first2=Charles M.|date=2013|publisher=Brooks/Cole, Cengage Learning|isbn=9781133106296|edition=5th|location=Belmont, CA|pages=108|oclc=1066452448|name-list-style=vanc}}</ref> is a [[chromatography|chromatographic]] method in which molecules in [[Solution (chemistry)|solution]] are separated by their [[Chemical structure|shape]], and in some cases [[molecular weight|size]].<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Paul-Dauphin|first1=S|last2=Karaca|first2=F|last3=Morgan|first3=TJ|last4=Millan-Agorio|first4=M|last5=Herod|first5=AA|last6=Kandiyoti|first6=R|display-authors=3|date=6 Oct 2007|title=Probing Size Exclusion Mechanisms of Complex Hydrocarbon Mixtures: The Effect of Altering Eluent Compositions|journal=[[Energy & Fuels]]|series=6|volume=21|issue=6|pages=3484–3489|doi=10.1021/ef700410e}}</ref> It is usually applied to large [[molecule]]s or macromolecular complexes such as [[protein]]s and industrial [[polymer]]s.<ref name=":3">{{cite journal|last1=Kastenholz|first1=B|date=29 Apr 2008|title=Phytochemical Approach and Bioanalytical Strategy to Develop Chaperone-Based Medications|journal=The Open Biochemistry Journal|series=|volume=2|issue=|pages=44–48|doi=10.2174/1874091X00802010044|doi-access=free|pmid=18949074|pmc=2570550}}</ref> Typically, when an [[aqueous solution]] is used to transport the sample through the column, the technique is known as '''gel filtration chromatography''', versus the name [[gel permeation chromatography]], which is used when an organic solvent is used as a mobile phase. The chromatography column is packed with fine, porous beads which are commonly composed of [[dextran]], [[agarose]], or [[polyacrylamide]] polymers. The pore sizes of these beads are used to estimate the dimensions of [[Macromolecule|macromolecules]].<ref name="Biochemistry" /> SEC is a widely used [[polymer characterization]] method because of its ability to provide good [[molar mass distribution]] (Mw) results for polymers.

Size-exclusion chromatography (SEC) is fundamentally different from all other chromatographic techniques in that separation is based on a simple procedure of classifying molecule sizes rather than any type of interaction.<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Meyer |first1=Veronika R. |title=Practical high-performance liquid chromatography |last2=Meyer |first2=Veronika R. |date=2010 |publisher=Wiley |isbn=978-0-470-68218-0 |edition=5. |location=Chichester}}</ref>