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Updated: Jun 2, 2026

Synthesis of Cyclic Polymers and Characterization of Their Diffusive Motion in the Melt State at the Single Molecule Level
Published on: September 26, 2016
Peering Through the Polymer: Tracking Small Molecules to Improve Polymer Development
Callum Johnson1, Chloe M Shilling1, Matthieu Starck1
1Department of Chemistry, Durham University, Lower Mount Joy, South Rd, Durham DH1 3LE, U.K.
Abstract:
Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) is a key tool in polymer research. It can quantify monomer uptake, track polymer degradation, and expose side reactions, additives, and impurities. Yet, much of this information, important for materials development, is hidden beneath the broad polymer signal. Here, we show how to cut through this barrier. We first rationalize established but often misunderstood relaxation methods (CPMG, PROJECT, WASTED), then introduce T 2 -filtered pure shift and DOSY methods, and finally, demonstrate how simple processing can strip away the polymer signal in experiments such as COSY and HSQC. This toolkit will have broad applications in identifying unwanted species, optimizing reactions, and, in general, improving product development.
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