MALDI-TOF Mass Spectrometry of Synthetic Polymers

MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry is one of the latest and most fascinating new

developments in the analysis of organic compounds. Originally developed for

the analysis of biomolecules, it has developed into one of the most powerful

techniques for the characterization of synthetic polymers. This book

describes the fundamentals of the MALDI process and the technical features

of MALDI-TOF instrumentation. It reviews the application of MALDI-TOF for

identification, chemical and molar mass analysis of synthetic polymers.

Experimental protocols for the determination of endgroups, the analysis of

homo- and copolymers, and the coupling of liquid chromatography and

MALDI-TOF are discussed in detail.