title: Quantitative interpretation of MALDI-TOF mass spectra of imperfect carbosilane dendrimers.
abstract: A general relationship is derived for the abundance of an imperfect dendrimer with a given number of missing constitutional repeating units in the two outmost layers. The relationship is used in the interpretation of the MALDI TOF mass spectrum of the second-generation carbosilane dendrimer prepared by the iterative divergent method. The model quantitatively describes the spectrum of the dendrimer and correctly predicts the MALDI TOF mass spectrum of its first-generation precursor. Thus, the use of well-resolved MALDI TOF mass spectra for assessing the purity of low-generation dendrimers with uniform end groups is substantiated for carbosilane dendrimers and to lesser extent for dendrimers in general.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Chemical Process Fundamentals, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Rozvojová 2, 16502 Prague 6, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Alena
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Krupkova
authors.forename: Jan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Cermak
authors.forename: Zuzana
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Walterova
authors.forename: Jirí
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Horský
mesh_terms: D050091:Dendrimers / Q000032:analysis*; D015394:Molecular Structure; D008970:Molecular Weight; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012821:Silanes / Q000032:analysis*; D019032:Spectrometry, Mass, Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption-Ionization / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D050091:Dendrimers; D012821:Silanes; C504072:carbosilane