title: "Polymeromics": Mass spectrometry based strategies in polymer science toward complete sequencing approaches: a review.
abstract: Mass spectrometry (MS) is the most versatile and comprehensive method in "OMICS" sciences (i.e. in proteomics, genomics, metabolomics and lipidomics). The applications of MS and tandem MS (MS/MS or MS(n)) provide sequence information of the full complement of biological samples in order to understand the importance of the sequences on their precise and specific functions. Nowadays, the control of polymer sequences and their accurate characterization is one of the significant challenges of current polymer science. Therefore, a similar approach can be very beneficial for characterizing and understanding the complex structures of synthetic macromolecules. MS-based strategies allow a relatively precise examination of polymeric structures (e.g. their molar mass distributions, monomer units, side chain substituents, end-group functionalities, and copolymer compositions). Moreover, tandem MS offer accurate structural information from intricate macromolecular structures; however, it produces vast amount of data to interpret. In "OMICS" sciences, the software application to interpret the obtained data has developed satisfyingly (e.g. in proteomics), because it is not possible to handle the amount of data acquired via (tandem) MS studies on the biological samples manually. It can be expected that special software tools will improve the interpretation of (tandem) MS output from the investigations of synthetic polymers as well. Eventually, the MS/MS field will also open up for polymer scientists who are not MS-specialists. In this review, we dissect the overall framework of the MS and MS/MS analysis of synthetic polymers into its key components. We discuss the fundamentals of polymer analyses as well as recent advances in the areas of tandem mass spectrometry, software developments, and the overall future perspectives on the way to polymer sequencing, one of the last Holy Grail in polymer science.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Organic and Macromolecular Chemistry (IOMC), Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Humboldtstr. 10, 07743 Jena, Germany; Jena Center for Soft Matter (JCSM), Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Philosophenweg 7, 07743 Jena, Germany.
authors.forename: Esra
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Altuntaş
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Organic and Macromolecular Chemistry (IOMC), Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Humboldtstr. 10, 07743 Jena, Germany; Jena Center for Soft Matter (JCSM), Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Philosophenweg 7, 07743 Jena, Germany; Dutch Polymer Institute (DPI), P.O. Box 902, 5600 AX Eindhoven, The Netherlands. Electronic address: ulrich.schubert@uni-jena.de.
authors.forename: Ulrich S
authors.initials: US
authors.lastname: Schubert
mesh_terms: D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D013058:Mass Spectrometry; D011108:Polymers / Q000032:analysis* / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D012984:Software; D019032:Spectrometry, Mass, Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption-Ionization; D053719:Tandem Mass Spectrometry
chemical_list: D011108:Polymers
keywords: 2D-LC; APCI; AUC; CCE; CID; CRP; ECD; ESI; FTICR; FTMS; Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance; Fourier transform mass spectrometry; GMA; GPEC; HPLC; IMS or IMMS; LAC; LC; LCCC; LEAC; LS; MALDI; MMA; MMD; MS; MS/MS; Mass spectrometry; NMR; ODNs; PCL; PDI; PDMS; PE; PEG; PEI; PEO; PEPOx; PET; PEtOx; PLUMS; PMA; PMAA; PMMA; POx; PP; PPO; PS; Polymer science; Polymer sequencing; Polymeromics; SEC; UV–vis; analytical ultracentrifugation; atmospheric pressure chemical ionization; characteristic collision energy; collision-induced dissociation; controlled radical polymerization; electron capture dissociation; electrospray ionization; glycidyl methacrylate; gradient polymer elution chromatography; high-performance liquid chromatography; ion mobility (mass) spectrometry; light scattering; liquid adsorption chromatography; liquid chromatography; liquid chromatography at critical conditions; liquid exclusion adsorption chromatography; mass spectrometry; matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization; methyl methacrylate; molar-mass distribution; nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy; oligodeoxynucleotides; poly(2-(1-ethylpentyl)-2-oxazoline); poly(2-ethyl-2-oxazoline); poly(2-oxazoline)s; poly(dimethylsiloxane); poly(ethylene glycol); poly(ethylene imine); poly(ethylene oxide); poly(ethylene terephthalate); poly(ethylene); poly(methacrylate); poly(methacrylic acid); poly(methyl methacrylate); poly(propylene oxide); poly(propylene); poly(styrene); poly(ɛ-caprolactone); polydispersity index; polymer labeling using mass spectrometry; size-exclusion chromatography; tandem mass spectrometry; two-dimensional liquid chromatography; ultraviolet–visible spectroscopy