Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Mass Spectrometers01:16

Mass Spectrometers

10.1K
This lesson details the instrumentation of a mass spectrometer—a physical instrument to perform mass spectrometry on analyte molecules and record the characteristic mass spectra. This is achieved via three chief functions:
10.1K
Mass Spectrometry: Overview01:19

Mass Spectrometry: Overview

9.8K
Mass spectrometry is an analytical technique used to determine the molecular mass and molecular formula of a compound. The basic principle of mass spectrometry is to generate ions from the analyte molecule and measure these ion abundances against their molecular mass. One common type of ionization, known as electron ionization or EI, bombards the analyte molecules in the gas phase with high-energy electron beams. The electron beams displace an electron from the molecule and leave behind a...
9.8K
Polymers: Molecular Weight Distribution01:10

Polymers: Molecular Weight Distribution

5.1K
For any given polymer, the weight average molecular weight (Mw) is higher than, if not equal to, the number average molecular weight (Mn). The only situation in which the weight average molecular weight and the number average molecular weight are equal is when a polymer consists only of chains with equal molecular weight. However, this never happens in a synthetic polymer, since it is difficult to control the polymerization process up to a molecular level with accuracy to a hundred percent.
5.1K
Mass Spectrometry: Complex Analysis01:21

Mass Spectrometry: Complex Analysis

2.0K
Mass spectrometry is an important technique for the identification of pure compounds. However, it has some limitations for the analysis of complex mixtures, often due to excessive fragmentation making the spectrum too complicated to decipher. Mass spectrometry can be combined with suitable separation methods in sequence, forming hyphenated methods, which are useful in the analysis of complex mixtures.
GC–MS is a powerful hyphenated method commonly used in forensics and environmental...
2.0K
MALDI-TOF Mass Spectrometry01:19

MALDI-TOF Mass Spectrometry

7.4K
Mass spectrometry is a powerful characterization technique that can identify and separate a wide variety of compounds ranging from chemical to biological entities, based on their mass-to-charge ratio (m/z). The instruments that allow this detection, known as mass spectrometers, have three components: an ion source, a mass analyzer, and a detector. These spectrometers differ based on the nature of their ion source and analyzers.Matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization (MALDI) is a commonly...
7.4K
NMR and Mass Spectroscopy of Carboxylic Acids01:30

NMR and Mass Spectroscopy of Carboxylic Acids

5.5K
In ¹H NMR spectroscopy, acidic protons (–COOH) of carboxylic acids are highly deshielded and absorb far downfield, at around 9–12 ppm. The chemical shift value depends on the concentration and solvent used.
While α protons of carboxylic acids absorb at 2–2.5 ppm, β protons absorb further upfield.
Carboxylic acids are easily identified by dissolving them in deuterium oxide, which results in a rapid exchange of the acidic protons with deuterium. This leads to the...
5.5K

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

NIST Polymer Pyrolysis Search: A New Pyrolysis GC-MS Search Program and Mass Spectral Reference Library.

Environmental science & technology·2026
Same author

Unusual Fragmentations of Silylated Polyfluoroalkyl Compounds Induced by Electron Ionization.

Journal of the American Society for Mass Spectrometry·2025
Same author

Characterization of the Trimethylsilyl Derivatives of 6-Amino-3-methyl-1,4-diphenyl-1,4-dihydropyrano[2,3-c]pyrazole-5-carbonitrile and Its Analogs by Electron Ionization Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry.

Journal of mass spectrometry : JMS·2025
Same author

NIST Mass Spectral Libraries in the Context of the Circular Economy of Plastics.

Journal of the American Society for Mass Spectrometry·2025
Same author

Comprehensive Data Evaluation Methods Used in Developing the SWGDRUG Mass Spectral Reference Library for Seized Drug Identification.

Analytical chemistry·2024
Same author

Improved Sample Preparation Method for Protein and Peptide Identification from Human Hair.

Journal of proteome research·2023

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Mar 17, 2026

Characterization of Synthetic Polymers via Matrix Assisted Laser Desorption Ionization Time of Flight MALDI-TOF Mass Spectrometry
06:56

Characterization of Synthetic Polymers via Matrix Assisted Laser Desorption Ionization Time of Flight MALDI-TOF Mass Spectrometry

Published on: June 10, 2018

26.3K

Data Analysis Methods for Synthetic Polymer Mass Spectrometry: Autocorrelation.

William E Wallace1, Charles M Guttman1

  • 1National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD 20899-8541.

Journal of Research of the National Institute of Standards and Technology
|July 23, 2016
PubMed
Summary

Autocorrelation analysis reveals periodic patterns in synthetic polymer mass spectra. This method aids in determining molecular mass distributions and understanding complex polymer structures.

Keywords:
autocorrelationcorrelation functiondata analysis methodsinformaticsmass spectrometrypolymertime series

More Related Videos

MALDI-ToF MS Method for the Characterization of Synthetic Polymers with Varying Dispersity and End Groups
06:16

MALDI-ToF MS Method for the Characterization of Synthetic Polymers with Varying Dispersity and End Groups

Published on: October 3, 2025

2.1K
Assembly and Characterization of Polyelectrolyte Complex Micelles
08:44

Assembly and Characterization of Polyelectrolyte Complex Micelles

Published on: March 2, 2020

11.6K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Mar 17, 2026

Characterization of Synthetic Polymers via Matrix Assisted Laser Desorption Ionization Time of Flight MALDI-TOF Mass Spectrometry
06:56

Characterization of Synthetic Polymers via Matrix Assisted Laser Desorption Ionization Time of Flight MALDI-TOF Mass Spectrometry

Published on: June 10, 2018

26.3K
MALDI-ToF MS Method for the Characterization of Synthetic Polymers with Varying Dispersity and End Groups
06:16

MALDI-ToF MS Method for the Characterization of Synthetic Polymers with Varying Dispersity and End Groups

Published on: October 3, 2025

2.1K
Assembly and Characterization of Polyelectrolyte Complex Micelles
08:44

Assembly and Characterization of Polyelectrolyte Complex Micelles

Published on: March 2, 2020

11.6K

Area of Science:

  • Polymer Science
  • Analytical Chemistry
  • Spectroscopy

Background:

  • High-resolution mass spectrometry is crucial for characterizing synthetic polymers.
  • Understanding complex mass spectra aids in determining polymer structure and properties.
  • Periodic patterns in mass spectra can provide valuable information about polymer repeating units.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To demonstrate the utility of autocorrelation analysis in interpreting high-resolution mass spectra of synthetic polymers.
  • To showcase how autocorrelation can reveal periodic patterns and unexpected phenomena in polymer spectra.
  • To explore the application of autocorrelation in determining molecular mass distributions of synthetic polymers.

Main Methods:

  • Application of autocorrelation function to high-resolution mass spectra.
  • Analysis of spectra from a simple linear homopolymer, a condensation polymer, and a condensation copolymer.
  • Investigation of signal-to-noise ratio changes to determine spectral limits.

Main Results:

  • Autocorrelation effectively identifies periodic patterns in synthetic polymer mass spectra.
  • The method successfully elucidates complex spectra with multiple repeating units across different mass scales.
  • Unexpected phenomena in condensation copolymers were efficiently revealed using autocorrelation.
  • Autocorrelation aids in identifying the point where spectral signal degrades into noise.

Conclusions:

  • Autocorrelation is a powerful tool for analyzing synthetic polymer mass spectra.
  • The technique enhances the understanding of polymer structure, repeating units, and potential anomalies.
  • Autocorrelation analysis contributes significantly to determining molecular mass distributions, a key goal in polymer characterization.