A method of separating compounds that includes the steps of: tagging at
least a first organic compound with a first tagging moiety to result in a
first tagged compound; tagging at least a second organic compound with a
second tagging moiety different from the first tagging moiety to result
in a second tagged compound; and separating the first tagged compound
from a mixture including the second tagged compound using a separation
technique based upon differences between the first tagging moiety and the
second tagging moiety. Preferably, the separation technique is based upon
difference in the fluorous nature of the first tagged compound and the
second tagged compound, differences in total charge between the first
tagged compound and the second tagged compound, differences in size
between the first tagged compound and the second tagged compound, and/or
differences in polarity between the first tagged compound and the second
tagged compound. The present invention also provides a method for
carrying out a chemical reaction including the steps of: tagging a
plurality of compounds with different tagging moieties to create tagged
compounds, conducting at least one chemical reaction on a mixture of the
tagged compounds to produce a mixture of tagged products, and separating
the mixture of tagged products by a separation technique based upon
differences in the tagging moieties.
