Analysis of Polymeric Hydrocarbon Materials by Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption/Ionization (Maldi) Mass Spectrometry

Abstract

There are a number of analytical techniques available for the analysis of hydrocarbon polymeric materials. The most common and useful techniques include pyrolysis, chromatography, thermal analysis, spectroscopy (NMR, ER & Raman) and mass spectrometry.1 The growth of mass spectrometry for the analysis of synthetic polymers has nearly doubled in eight years (as measured by ASMS abstracts) as noted by the editor of the journal of the American Society for Mass Spectrometry (ASMS) in 1998.2 Among the many mass spectrometry techniques available, matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) applications are constantly increasing. The MALDI technique was initially developed for biological molecules, mainly proteins and peptides,3,4 but was eventually utilized for other analytes including synthetic polymers 5. Although MALDI is quite successful for the analysis of polar polymers, it has not worked as well for nonpolar analytes such as hydrocarbon materials. This limitation is attributed to lack of proper understanding of some fundamental issues related to this technique such as the desorption/ionization mechanism and the role of the matrix in the MALDI process. In this chapter, MALDI-MS analytical approaches for the analysis of hydrocarbon polymeric materials are discussed.