Difference Between Gel Filtration and Gel Permeation Chromatography

The key difference between gel filtration and gel permeation chromatography is that the mobile phase of gel filtration chromatography is an aqueous solution whereas the mobile phase of gel permeation chromatography is an organic solvent.

Both gel filtration and gel permeation chromatography come under the category of size exclusion chromatography in which we can separate the molecules in a solution depending on their size. That is, sometimes, we can separate the molecules according to their molecular weights. Usually, we use these techniques to separate complex molecules such as proteins and in industrial scale, to separate polymer materials. The main difference between gel filtration and gel permeation chromatography is in the mobile phase we use in each technique.

CONTENTS

1. Overview and Key Difference
2. What is Gel Filtration Chromatography
3. What is Gel Permeation Chromatography
4. Side by Side Comparison – Gel Filtration vs Gel Permeation Chromatography in Tabular Form
5. Summary

What is Gel Filtration Chromatography?

Gel filtration chromatography is a form of size exclusion chromatography in which we use an aqueous solution as the mobile phase. Therefore, most of the times, the mobile phase that we use in this technique is an aqueous buffer. Also, we use a chromatographic column for this separation, and we need to pack the column with porous beads. Usually, Sephadex and agarose are useful as the porous material. Hence, these material are the stationary phase of our experiment. Moreover, we can use the pore size of these beads to determine the size of macromolecules that we are separating. However, it is just an estimation.

The major application of this technique is to separate proteins and other water-soluble material according to the size. The technique works by trapping small molecules in pores of the stationary phase (beads) while large molecules elute through the gel. Therefore, the first fraction contains large molecules. Then we can use a different solvent which can take out the small molecules inside pores. Then our second fraction contains small molecules.

What is Gel Permeation Chromatography?

Gel permeation chromatography is a form of size exclusion chromatography in which we use an organic solvent as the mobile phase. Therefore, we can use solutions such as hexane and toluene for this purpose.

The stationary phase is a porous material same as in gel filtration chromatography. This technique is often applicable to polymers and other organic-soluble material. The method of action of the technique is similar to that of gel filtration chromatography.

What is the Difference Between Gel Filtration and Gel Permeation Chromatography?

Gel filtration and gel permeation chromatography are two forms of size exclusion chromatography that involves in the separation of molecules in a sample according to the size of molecules. The only difference between gel filtration and gel permeation chromatography is in the mobile phase they use and hence, the application of the technique. Therefore, the key difference between gel filtration and gel permeation chromatography is that the mobile phase of gel filtration chromatography is an aqueous solution whereas the mobile phase of gel permeation chromatography is an organic solvent.

The below infographic presents the difference between gel filtration and gel permeation chromatography in tabular form.

Summary – Gel Filtration vs Gel Permeation Chromatography

Size exclusion chromatography is in two major types as gel filtration and gel permeation chromatography. The key difference between gel filtration and gel permeation chromatography is that the mobile phase of gel filtration chromatography is an aqueous solution whereas the mobile phase of gel permeation chromatography is an organic solvent.

Reference:

1. “Size-Exclusion Chromatography.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 28 Sept. 2018. Available here 
2. Ngwa, Asabuwa. “Gel Permeation Chromatography (GPC).” LinkedIn SlideShare, 19 July 2015. Available here 

Image Courtesy:

1.”Size exclusion”By Kjaergaard (Public Domain) via Commons Wikimedia  
2.”GPC instrument”By Chem538grp2w09 (talk) – Own work (Public Domain) via Commons Wikimedia