Influence of ligand density on the properties of metal-chelate affinity supports.

A new procedure has been developed to immobilize iminodiacetic acid (IDA) onto the surface of silica supports, such as LiChrospher Si-1000 and 1.5-microns nonporous silica, for use in high-performance immobilized metal affinity chromatography (HPIMAC) of proteins. This IDA immobilization method has been achieved through the synthesis of a new silylation reagent, 1-(iminodiacetic acid di-tert-butylester)-3-glycidoxy-propyltrimethoxysilane (IDA-silane). Various modified silicas of different ligand densities have been prepared by using mixtures between 1 and 100% of the IDA-silane diluted with the corresponding 3-glycidoxy-propyltrimethoxysilane (GLYMO-silane). Frontal analysis was used with t…