title: Structural analysis of synthetic polymer mixtures using ion mobility and tandem mass spectrometry.
abstract: Ion mobility (IM) combined with tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) has been employed to separate and differentiate between polyether oligomers with the same nominal molecular weights. Poly(ethylene glycol)s with the same nominal mass-to-charge ratio (m/z), but with differing structures, were separated using ion mobility. IM-MS/MS data were able to aid identification of the backbone and end groups of the four individual polyethers in the two sets of isobaric mixtures. The MS/MS data from the resolved oligomers enabled a detailed structural characterization of the polyether mixtures to be completed in one experiment.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Sciences, University of Warwick, Gibbet Hill Road, Coventry CV4 7AL, UK.
authors.forename: Gillian R
authors.initials: GR
authors.lastname: Hilton
authors.forename: Anthony T
authors.initials: AT
authors.lastname: Jackson
authors.forename: Konstantinos
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Thalassinos
authors.forename: James H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Scrivens
mesh_terms: D045424:Complex Mixtures / Q000737:chemistry*; D007477:Ions; D008958:Models, Molecular; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols / Q000737:chemistry*; D021241:Spectrometry, Mass, Electrospray Ionization; D019032:Spectrometry, Mass, Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption-Ionization; D053719:Tandem Mass Spectrometry
chemical_list: D045424:Complex Mixtures; D007477:Ions; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols