Mass Spectrometry of Styrenic Polymers: Use of MS/MS
Wednesday, March 5, 2008
1:30 p.m., Room 265

Organizer:

M. David Hercules and Tony P Gies, Vanderbilt University

Speakers:

1:35      Applications of MS/MS in the Polymer Industry  ROBERT P LATTIMER, Lubrizol Advanced Materials, Michael J Polce

2:10      MALDI-TOF/TOF CID Studies of Styrenic Polymer Fragmentation Reactions  DAVID M HERCULES, Vanderbilt University, Anthony P Gies, Matthew J Vergne, Sparkle T Ellison, Rebecca L Orndorff

2:45      Tandem Mass Spectrometry of Alkali-Cationized Polyethers: Dissociation Mechanisms and Structural Information  CHRYS WESDEMIOTIS, The University of Akron, Michael J Polce, Panthida Thomya, Kathleen M Wollyung

3:20      MALDI-TOF/TOF-MS/MS of Poly(Estere-Amides)  CONCETTO PUGLISI, CNR - Institute of Chemistry and Technology of Polymers, Paola Rizzarelli

3:55      Utilizing Ion Mobility and Tandem Mass Spectrometry for the Characterization of Polyethers  ANTHONY T JACKSON, ICI Paints, Gillian R Hilton, Konstantinos Thalassinos, Jonathan P Williams, James H Scrivens

Overview:

Mass spectrometry, predominately in the form of time-of-flight (TOF) instrumentation, has proven to be an important technique for the structure and composition analysis of synthetic polymers, allowing analysis of homo-, hetero-, and copolymers. Further, through a combination of matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) or electrospray (ESI) and collision induced dissociation (CID) (e.g., MALDI-TOF/TOF CID), additional structural and degradation information about polymers can be determined from the fragment peaks of parent ions. Specifically, CID experiments can provide insight into complex degradation mechanisms such as: monomer reversion (main chain “unzipping”), hydrogen transfers, phenyl shifts, side-group loss, and degree of main-chain fragmentation – while yielding precise end-group information.

This symposium is intended as an introduction to tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) fragmentation of polymers with an overview of its history and current status. Structural and degradation information will be presented for a wide range of industrial significant polymer classes (e.g., acrylates, amides, esters, ethers, and styrenes). Materials scientists interested in MS/MS applications to the study of polymer stabilities, degradation products, fragmentation mechanisms, and end-group analysis are strongly encouraged to attend.