Characterization of the chemical composition of a block copolymer by liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry using atmospheric pressure chemical ionization and electrospray ionization.
Liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (LC/MS) with electrospray ionization (ESI) and atmospheric pressure chemical ionization (APCI) in the positive and negative ion modes was used for the characterization of a block copolymer consisting of methoxy poly(ethylene oxide) (mPEO), an epsilon-caprolactone (CL) segment and linoleic acid (LA), used as surfactant in water-based latex paints. Chromatographic separation was obtained based on the number of CL units in the polymer species and the presence of an mPEO and/or LA tail. Different ionization methods were found to be complementary and only their combination allowed the qualitative profiling of the chemical composition. The LC/MS method has proven valuable for following the reaction in time, as well as for comparison of different polymeric surfactants.
van Leeuwen
Suze M
SM
Chemical Analysis Group and MESA+ Institute for Nanotechnology, University of Twente, P.O. Box 217, 7500 AE Enschede, The Netherlands.
Tan
BoonHua
B
Grijpma
Dirk W
DW
Feijen
Jan
J
Karst
Uwe
U
D001274:Atmospheric Pressure; D002853:Chromatography, Liquid / Q000379:methods*; D045424:Complex Mixtures / Q000032:analysis / Q000737:chemistry; D011091:Polyesters / Q000032:analysis* / Q000737:chemistry*; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols / Q000032:analysis* / Q000737:chemistry*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D021241:Spectrometry, Mass, Electrospray Ionization / Q000379:methods*
D045424:Complex Mixtures; D011091:Polyesters; C439611:methoxy poly(ethylene glycol-co-epsilon-caprolactone); D011092:Polyethylene Glycols