Functionality and molecular weight distribution of Telechelic polymers

Abstract

Telechelic polymers are widely used to obtain various types of polymers. Of exceptional importance in the behaviour of Telechelic polymers is the nature and number of reactive functional groups (RFG). Along with molecular weight distribution (MWD), a telechelic polymer is to be characterized by a new quantity, introduced by us, — the functionality type distribution (FTD). This characteristic determines to a considerable extent the topology of the resulting polymer. The determination of FTD is, however, very complicated. A unique method developed by us — chromatography of macromolecules at “critical conditions” close to the coil-adsorbed coil transition point — solves this problem for telechelic polymers. The basis of the method derived from the regularities of the adsorption of macromolecules is discussed and examples of separation of a number of hydroxyl-containing telechelic polymers with respect to the functionality types are given. Further development of the method for the analysis of other types of macromolecular heterogeneity is briefly discussed (the separation of cyclic and linear macromolecules is taken as an example).