A method for separating a mixture of biomolecules, comprising:
- (1) contacting a composition comprising a buffer and an effective amount of a poly(M1-g-M2), or a salt thereof, wherein:
- (a) poly(M1-g-M2) comprises a first backbone polymer, poly (M1), formed from a monomer unit M1 having the formula (I):
- wherein each A1 is independently O, S or NX1;
- each of R1, R2, R3 and R4 is independently H, C1-C20 alkyl, C4-C12 cycloalkyl, C5-C12 aryl, C4-C12 heteroaryl, —(C1-C20 alkyl)(C5-C12 aryl) or —(C5-C12 aryl)(C1-C20 alkyl);
- each R5 is independently C1-C20 alkyl, C1-C20 heteroalkyl, C4-C12 cycloalkyl, C4-C12 heterocycloalkyl, C5-C12 aryl, C4-C12 heteroaryl, —(C1-C20 alkyl)(C4-C12 cycloalkyl), —(C4-C12 cycloalkyl)(C1-C20 alkyl), —(C1-C20 heteroalkyl)(C4-C12 cycloalkyl), —(C4-C12 cycloalkyl)(C1-C20 heteroalkyl), —(C1-C20 alkyl)(C4-C12 heterocycloalkyl), —(C4-C12 heterocycloalkyl)(C1-C20 alkyl), —(C1-C20 heteroalkyl)(C4-C12 heterocycloalkyl), —(C4-C12 heterocycloalkyl)(C1-C20 heteroalkyl), —(C1-C20 alkyl)(C5-C12 aryl), —(C5-C12 aryl)(C1-C20 alkyl), —(C1-C20 heteroalkyl)(C5-C12 aryl), —(C5-C12 aryl)(C1-C20 heteroalkyl), —(C1-C20 alkyl)(C4-C12 heteroaryl), —(C4-C12 heteroaryl)(C1-C20 alkyl), —(C1-C20 heteroalkyl)(C4-C12 heteroaryl), —(C4-C12 heteroaryl)(C1-C20 heteroalkyl), —(C1-C4 alkyl)qNH2, —(C1-C4 alkyl)qCONH2, —(C1-C4 alkyl)NHCONH2, —(C1-C4 alkyl)NHCOH or —(C1-C4 alkyl)qNHCOCH3, where each q is 0 or 1;
- and
- each X1 is independently H, C1-C20 alkyl, C4-C12 cycloalkyl, C5-C12 aryl, C4-C12 heteroaryl, —(C1-C20 alkyl)(C5-C12 aryl), —(C5-C12 aryl)(C1-C20 alkyl), —(C1-C4 alkyl)qNH2, —(C1-C4 alkyl)qCONH2, —(C1-C4 alkyl)NHCONH2, —(C1-C4 alkyl)qNHCOH or —(C1-C4 alkyl)qNHCOCH3, where each q is 0 or 1;
- (b) poly(M1-g-M2) comprises a second pendent polymer, poly (M2), grafted to poly(M1), wherein the pendent polymer consists of a polymer formed from monomer units M2 having the formula (II):
- wherein each A2 is independently O, S or NX2;
- each of R6, R7, R8 and R9 is independently H, C1-C20 alkyl, C4-C12 cycloalkyl, C5-C12 aryl, C4-C12 heteroaryl, —(C1-C20 alkyl)(C5-C12 aryl) or —(C5-C12 aryl)(C1-C20 alkyl);
- each R10 is independently H, C1-C20 alkyl, C1-C20 heteroalkyl, C4-C12 cycloalkyl, C4-C12 heterocycloalkyl, C5-C12 aryl, C4-C12 heteroaryl, —(C1-C20 alkyl)(C4-C12 cycloalkyl), —(C4-C12 cycloalkyl)(C1-C20 alkyl), —(C1-C20 heteroalkyl)(C4-C12 cycloalkyl), —(C4-C12 cycloalkyl)(C1-C20 heteroalkyl), —(C1-C20 alkyl)(C4-C12 heterocycloalkyl), —(C4-C12 heterocycloalkyl)(C1-C20 alkyl), —(C1-C20 heteroalkyl)(C4-C12 heterocycloalkyl), —(C4-C12 heterocycloalkyl)(C1-C20 heteroalkyl), —(C1-C20 alkyl)(C5-C12 aryl), —(C5-C12 aryl)(C1-C20 alkyl), —(C1-C20 heteroalkyl)(C5-C12 aryl), —(C5-C12 aryl)(C1-C20 heteroalkyl), —(C1-C20 alkyl)(C4-C12 heteroaryl), —(C4-C12 heteroaryl)(C1-C20 alkyl), —(C1-C20 heteroalkyl)(C4-C12 heteroaryl), —(C4-C12 heteroaryl)(C1-C20 heteroalkyl), —(C1-C4 alkyl)qNH2, —(C1-C4 alkyl)qCONH2, —(C1-C4 alkyl)NHCONH2, —(C1-C4 alkyl)NHCOH or —(C1-C4 alkyl)qNHCOCH3, where each q is 0 or 1;
- and
- each X2 is independently H, C1-C20 alkyl, C4-C12 cycloalkyl, C5-C12 aryl, C4-C12 heteroaryl, —(C1-C20 alkyl)(C5-C12 aryl), —(C5-C12 aryl)(C1-C20 alkyl), —(C1-C4 alkyl)qNH2, —(C1-C4 alkyl)qCONH2, —(C1-C4 alkyl)NHCONH2, —(C1-C4 alkyl)qNHCOH or —(C1-C4 alkyl)qNHCOCH3, where each q is 0 or 1;
- with a mixture comprising a biomolecule;
- and
- (2) applying an electric field to the composition in an amount sufficient to facilitate the separation of the biomolecule from the mixture.