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Updated: Sep 22, 2025

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Published on: September 8, 2016
Quantitative Analysis of Step-Growth Polymers by Size Exclusion Chromatography
Josef Brandt1,2, Naomi L Haworth3, Friedrich Georg Schmidt4
1Leibniz-Institut für Polymerforschung Dresden e.V., Hohe Straße 6, 01069 Dresden, Germany.
Abstract:
We report an advanced analysis protocol that allows to quantitatively study the course of step-growth reactions by size exclusion chromatography on the example of the depolymerization of a Diels-Alder polymer based on a furane/maleimide couple at elevated temperatures. Frequently occurring issues of molar mass calibrations and overlap of monomer with solvent signals are addressed for determining reliable molar masses. Thereby, even kinetic parameters (e.g., rate coefficients) can be derived that otherwise would require performing additional spectroscopic experiments. Our results confirm first-order behavior of the rDA reaction with an activation energy of 33 kJ mol-1.
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