Gas Chromatography/Electron Ionization Mass Spectrometric Analysis of Oligomeric Polyethylene Glycol Mono Alkyl Ethers

Adebayo O Onigbinde,Bamidele M.W Amos-Tautua,Burnaby Munson

doi:10.19026/rjaset.5.4661

Adebayo O Onigbinde, Bamidele M.W Amos-Tautua + Show 1 more

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https://doi.org/10.19026/rjaset.5.4661

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Abstract

Polyethylene Glycol Monoalkyl Ethers, CxH2x+1 (OC2H4)n OH, (PEGMAE), are polar compounds like Polyethylene Glycols (PEG) and they undergo microbial degradation which produces toxic substances that are potentially dangerous to the environment. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to carry out proper identification and characterization of these compounds. The Electron Ionization (EI) and Chemical Ionization (CI) spectra of various PEGMAE were obtained by Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry (GC/MS) and were used to identify and characterize these compounds. The characteristic cleavages in the EI and CI reactions of PEGMAEs were also studied. The results obtained showed that the methane CI mass spectra of the PEGMAE contain MH + ions and fragment ions similar to those found in their EI mass spectra. The relative abundances of the MH + ions are low, variable and increase with increasing sample size across the chromatographic peaks; but do not increase with increasing x or n. The base peaks of the low mass oligomers (x3) are PEG related (e.g., m/z 45, 59) but those of higher mass oligomers (x4) include the ion at m/z 63 (HOC2H4OH) H + or m/z 107 (HO (C2H4O)2 H) H + . There are no (MH-H2O) + ions or protonated dimer ions (n2, x2) in the spectra of PEGMAE. The Relative Molar Sensitivities (RMS) or the Relative Sensitivity per Gram (RSG) increases linearly with molecular polarizabilty or molecular weight with a non-zero intercept.

Highlights

Polyethylene Glycol Monoalkyl Ethers, CxH2x+1 (OC2H4)n OH (PEGMAE), are polar compounds like Polyethylene Glycols (PEG) and are extensively used for many industrial purposes: in cleaning formulations, detergents, agriculture (Coble and Brumbaugh, 1993; Steber and Wierich, 1985) pharmaceuticals, alkaline batteries, tin electroplating, lubricants, coating agents and in textile fibres (Forkner et al, 1994; Aronstein et al, 1991)
The widest application of PEGMAE is in the field of surfactants where they are used in formulating PEG based anionic, cationic or non ionic surfactants (Evans et al, 1994)
Because of the large production of PEGMAE, some oligomers have been found in environmental samples but are considered less environmentally harmful than ionic surfactants, but they still undergo microbial degradation that produces toxic substances that are potentially dangerous to the environment

Summary

Introduction

Polyethylene Glycol Monoalkyl Ethers, CxH2x+1 (OC2H4)n OH (PEGMAE), are polar compounds like Polyethylene Glycols (PEG) and are extensively used for many industrial purposes: in cleaning formulations, detergents, agriculture (Coble and Brumbaugh, 1993; Steber and Wierich, 1985) pharmaceuticals, alkaline batteries, tin electroplating, lubricants, coating agents and in textile fibres (Forkner et al, 1994; Aronstein et al, 1991). Because of the large production of PEGMAE, some oligomers have been found in environmental samples but are considered less environmentally harmful than ionic surfactants, but they still undergo microbial degradation that produces toxic substances that are potentially dangerous to the environment. Ethylene glycol and its oligomers are readily biodegradable and are not considered as persistent in the environment (Forkner et al, 1994) but ethylene glycol derivatives have been observed in environmental samples (Sheldon and Hites, 1979). The Electron Ionization (EI) spectra of low mass PEGMAE, like those of similar hydrocarbons, alcohols and ethers, Corresponding Author: Adebayo O.

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