Polymer Bulletin, Vol.40, No.4-5, 541-548, 1998
Use of mass spectrometry for the analysis of molecular weight distribution and macrocycles in functionalized oligo-epsilon-caprolactones synthesized by heterogeneous AROP in protic conditions
Functionalized oligo-epsilon-caprolactones synthesized by heterogeneous coordinated anionic ring opening polymerization (AROP) in protic conditions have been analyzed by mass spectrometry in order to investigate the molecular weight distribution as well as the possible occurrence of macrocycles.Mass spectra obtained from LSIMS revealed the presence of fragmentation products and some of them have been identified. Macrocycles were also detected. Nevertheless, ESI and MALDI-TOF spectrometries do not confirm the presence of macrocycles in the samples. The same results have been obtained by analysis of commercially available polycaprolactones.
Keywords:POLYMERIZATION