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Updated: May 22, 2026

Characterization of Synthetic Polymers via Matrix Assisted Laser Desorption Ionization Time of Flight (MALDI-TOF) Mass Spectrometry
Published on: June 10, 2018
Successful MALDI-MS analysis of synthetic polymers with labile end-groups: the case of nitroxide-mediated
Caroline Barrère1, Christophe Chendo, Trang N T Phan
1Aix-Marseille Univ-CNRS, UMR 7273, Institut de Chimie Radicalaire, Equipe Spectrométries Appliquées à la Chimie Structurale, 13397 Marseille, France.
Abstract:
A sample pretreatment was evaluated to enable the production of intact cationic species of synthetic polymers holding a labile end-group using matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) mass spectrometry. More specifically, polymers obtained by nitroxide-mediated polymerization involving the MAMA-SG1 alkoxyamine were stirred for a few hours in trifluoroacetic acid (TFA) to induce the substitution of a tert-butyl group on the nitrogen of nitroxide end-group by a hydrogen atom. Nuclear magnetic resonance, electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry, and theoretical calculations were combined to scrutinize this sample pretreatment from both mechanistic and energetic points of view. The substitution reaction was found to increase the dissociation energy of the fragile C-ON bond to a sufficient extent to prevent this bond to be spontaneously cleaved during MALDI analysis. This TFA treatment is shown to be very efficient regardless of the nature of the polymer, as evidenced by reliable MALDI mass spectrometric data obtained for poly(ethylene oxide), polystyrene and poly(butylacrylate).
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