Analysis of multicomponent polyesters using JMS-S3000 “SpiralTOF™-plus3.0” and Kendrick Mass Defect (KMD) analysis
Copolymers are polymers formed by linking multiple types of monomers. Combining different monomers can produce polymers with more diverse physical and chemical properties than homopolymers made of a single monomer. Most polyesters used in industrial materials such as adhesives, paints, and coatings are "multicomponent copolymers." The types of monomers and their mixing ratios affect various performances. In this application note, we introduce the advantages of high-resolution matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOFMS) in analyzing multicomponent copolymers. MALDI is one of the most common soft ionization methods. Since polymers are mainly ionized as singly charged ions, the m/z in the mass spectrum is the mass of the polymer ion. By using high mass-resolution MALDI-TOFMS, it is easy to distinguish polymer series based on differences in the composition of repeating units and end groups, and it is also possible to calculate the molecular weight distribution of each. Therefore, compared to pyrolysis GC-MS and NMR, which are often used for polymeric material analysis, MALDI-TOFMS is a method that allows copolymers to be directly identified from mass spectra. The Kendrick Mass Defect (KMD) method has made it possible to easily visualize polymer series contained in complex high mass-resolution mass spectra. Here, we introduce examples of analyzing a mixture of two types of binary polyesters and a quaternary polyester.