Capillary electrophoresis-mass spectrometry of a new cross-linker with acrylic functionality

Analytical characterization of dimethacrylate-tyrosine-lysine-tyrosine (DMTLT, a new biodegradable acrylic cross-linker synthesized at our laboratory) is carried out using CE-MS. DMTLT is a pseudopeptide composed by tyrosine-lysine-tyrosine amino acids linked through urea bonds with two methacrylic groups, one at each end of the molecule, making this compound an excellent cross-linker for polymerization reactions and for obtaining new biodegradable materials. A new CE-MS method is developed for the characterization of DMTLT and its products of degradation after basic hydrolysis. In order to carry out an exhaustive examination of such degradation products methods based on CE coupled to IT and TOF-MS are employed. Based on CE-IT-MS results and the elemental composition of the degradation products obtained by CE-TOF-MS, conclusions on the mechanism and kinetic of hydrolysis of DMTLT are obtained confirming both the usefulness of CE-MS to characterize new biomaterials and the applicability of DMTLT for preparing new biodegradable polymers. These results are corroborated through the CE-MS detection of the identified products of degradation in a dimethyl acrylamide polymer cross-linked with DMTLT.