Biochemical Applications of Poly(Ethylene Glycol)

The literature data on the use of poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) in biochemistry and molecular biology are analysed from the standpoint of the physical chemistry of polymers. The exclusion properties of PEG, used as a factor influencing the rate of enzymatic reactions, the intra- and intermolecular transitions in polymers, and biopolymer precipitation and crystallisation processes are examined. The suitability of three-component PEG–dextran–water mixtures for the purification and separation of mixtures of biopolymers and for analytical purposes as well as the possibility of using functional derivatives of PEG in immunological research and for the immobilisation of enzymes are discussed. A special section is devoted to the synthesis of PEG derivatives containing different functional groups at the ends of the polymer chain. The surface-active properties of PEG are examined.
The bibliography includes 78 references.