GPC Separation of Polymer Samples for MALDI Analysis

• Published in: Analytical chemistry (Washington) Vol. 72; no. 19; pp. 4550 - 4554
• Main Authors: Hanton, Scott D, Liu, X. Michael
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Washington, DC American Chemical Society 01-10-2000
• Subjects: Applied sciences; Chemistry; Exact sciences and technology; Mass spectrometry; Organic chemistry; Organic polymers; Physicochemistry of polymers; Polymers; Properties and characterization; Reactivity and mechanisms; Scientific imaging; Spectrum analysis; Structure, morphology and analysis; Polydispersed polymer; Molecular weight distribution; Molecular weight determination; Preparative chromatography; Methyl methacrylate polymer; Fragmentation pattern; Liquid chromatography; Laser desorption; Gel permeation chromatography; Ethylene oxide polymer; Matrix isolation; Photoionization; Aliphatic polymer; Mass spectrometry; Weight average molecular weight
• ISSN: 0003-2700; 1520-6882
• DOI: 10.1021/ac000095n

Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) mass spectrometry is an important technique to characterize the average molecular weights, oligomer repeat units, and end groups of polymer materials. Although MALDI methods have been developed for a broad variety of different synthetic polymers, MALDI continues to struggle with polymer samples having broad polydispersity (PD). We have combined MALDI and gel permeation chromatography (GPC) analyses for broad PD polymer samples with the use of a liquid chromatography (LC) interface. The LC interface uses heated sheath gas and a capillary nozzle to remove most of the mobile phase and deposit the GPC eluants on the precoated matrix on a moving MALDI plate. Our experiments demonstrate that the combination of GPC−LC interface−MALDI can aid in the characterization of broad PD samples, the verification of the presence of low-intensity, high-mass oligomers, and the detection of minor series in polymer samples.