MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry of synthetic polymers

MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry is one of the latest and most fascinating new developments in the analysis of organic compounds. Originally developed for the analysis of biomolecules, it has developed into one of the most powerful techniques for the characterization of synthetic polymers. This book describes the fundamentals of the MALDI process and the technical features of MALDI-TOF instrumentation. It reviews the application of MALDI-TOF for identification, chemical and molar mass analysis of synthetic polymers. Experimental protocols for the determination of endgroups, the analysis of homo- and copolymers, and the coupling of liquid chromatography and MALDI-TOF are discussed in detail.