Figure 1: Theory of size exclusion chromatography. Please read details in supplement 1.

The basic principle of size exclusion chromatography is quite simple. A column of gel particles or porous matrix is in equilibrium with a suitable mobile phase for the molecules to be separated. Large molecules are completely excluded from the pores will pass through the space in between the gel particles or matrix and will come first in the effluent. Smaller molecules will get distributed in between the mobile phase of in and outside the molecular sieve and will then pass through the column at a slower rate, hence appear later in effluent (Fig. 1)