Electroosmotic mobility and aggregation phenomena of model polymers with permanent cationic groups

Capillary electrophoresis (CE) was applied to polyelectrolytes containing permanent cationic groups. The electrophoretic mobility (EM) of polycarboxybetaines at different pH strongly depends on the chemical environment of the cation. This promotes a pH dependent intra- and intermolecular aggregation. Using uncharged polymers as sieving media, the order of hydrodynamic radii superimposes the effect of number and location of the net charges on the overall mobility. EM of cationic polyelectrolytes is mainly determined by structural factors and substituent effects at the nitrogen.