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Characterization of polyether mixtures using thin‐layer chromatography and matrix‐assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry
Author(s) -
Watanabe Takehiro,
Kawasaki Hideya,
Kimoto Takashi,
Arakawa Ryuichi
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
rapid communications in mass spectrometry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.528
H-Index - 136
eISSN - 1097-0231
pISSN - 0951-4198
DOI - 10.1002/rcm.2896
Subject(s) - chemistry , polypropylene glycol , mass spectrometry , polyethylene glycol , polymer , chromatography , matrix assisted laser desorption/ionization , desorption , polypropylene , peg ratio , adsorption , organic chemistry , finance , economics
Thin‐layer chromatography (TLC) and matrix‐assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry (MALDI‐MS) were combined to achieve characterization of polyether mixtures. Three polyethers, polyethylene glycol (PEG), polypropylene glycol (PPG) and polytetramethylene glycol (PTMG), or mixtures of these compounds, were studied. One shortcoming of mixture analysis of synthetic polymers using MALDI‐MS is that individual polymers in the mixture may display different detection sensitivities. For example, the MALDI mass spectrum of an equimolar mixture of PEG, PPG and PTMG displayed a high intensity of PPG ions, while no PTMG ions were detectable; however, PTMG ions were detected after the mixture had been separated by TLC. This combined TLC and MALDI‐MS analysis of a PPG polymer bearing reactive epoxy groups showed that the polymer contained byproducts with different end‐groups. These byproducts were identified as chloro‐substituted polymers formed during polymer synthesis. Our study shows TLC to be a rapid and low‐cost separation technique, and that it can be combined with MALDI‐MS to achieve effective analysis of synthetic polymers. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.