Estimation of polymerization efficiency in the formation of polyacrylamide gel, using continuous optical scanning during polymerization.

The Ferguson plot and 'quantitative' gel electrophoresis (based on the Ferguson plot) depend on a knowledge of accurate gel concentrations. The easiest way to estimate accuracy of gel concentrations, in terms of the degree of completion of the polymerization reaction which gives rise to a gel, is by spectrophometry. Making use of the apparatus for continuous optical scanning of polyacrylamide gels, the extent and rate of polymerization of cross-linked polyacrylamide were estimated by measuring the absorbance at 275 nm of the reaction mixture subsequent to free radical initiation of polymerization. Under appropriate conditions of monomer concentration, initiator levels and temperature, absorbance decreased monotonically after a lag period of 10 min, and after 20--30 min of reaction the absorbance reached a plateau value which provided a measure of polymerization efficiency. Application of a standard curve of absorbance vs. monomer concentration allowed one to quantitate concentrations of residual monomer throughout the course of polymerization. Under a set of arbitrary polymerization conditions (e.g. 6--20% total gel concentration), the reaction went to 63--96% completion. The rate of polymerization was approximately proportional to the square of the monomer concentration (2nd-order reaction kinetics). Absorbance decrease subsequent to the initiation of the polymerization reaction appeared suitable as a measure of efficiency of polymerization since: (a) absorbance spectra of monomers at 0.5 %T and residual monomers in a 10 %T gel, at a time when polymerization seemed terminated, coincided; (b) values of residual monomer obtained were reasonable (10--30%); (c) bimolecular reaction kinetics were found, in agreement with expectation; and (d) absorbance of incomplete polymerization mixtures, deficient in either initiators or monomers, was constant with time.