High Molecular Weight Polymers Research Articles

Glycerol as a green solvent for enhancing the formulation of dextran methacrylate and gellan-based semi-interpenetrating polymer networks

Recently, glycerol has been exploited in a number of industrial applications, thanks to its high availability, its low cost and, overall, its peculiar properties which fit well with the green chemistry principles. In this work, the ability of glycerol to solubilize high molecular weight polymers and to allow the formation of glycerol-based semi-interpenetrating polymer networks, called “gly-semi-IPNs”, has been investigated. Compared to water, glycerol deeply affects the structural properties of the biopolymers, especially with reference to their chain flexibility. Among the polysaccharides, dextran methacrylate (DexMA) and gellan gum (Ge) were selected. Glycerol solutions of both polysaccharides and their mixtures, as well as a DexMA network (obtained by cross-linking in glycerol and in the presence of a photoinitiator), were rheologically characterized to assess the role of the solvent on the chain conformation and on the mechanical properties of the networks. Interestingly, glycerol was found to deeply influence the mechanical, morphological and optical properties of the formed hydrogels, as well as to improve the cross-linking kinetic of DexMA. Furthermore, glycerol leads to more homogeneous mixtures of the two polysaccharides than those observed in aqueous buffers. As such, novel gly-semi-IPNs, with enhanced formulation and mechanical properties, were prepared and characterized.

Metagenomic Exploration of Plastic Degrading Microbes for Biotechnological Application.

Since the last few decades, the promiscuous and uncontrolled use of plastics led to the accumulation of millions of tons of plastic waste in the terrestrial and marine environment. It elevated the risk of environmental pollution and climate change. The concern arises more due to the reckless and unscientific disposal of plastics containing high molecular weight polymers, viz., polystyrene, polyamide, polyvinylchloride, polypropylene, polyurethane, and polyethylene, etc. which are very difficult to degrade. Thus, the focus is now paid to search for efficient, eco-friendly, low-cost waste management technology. Of them, degradation of non-degradable synthetic polymer using diverse microbial agents, viz., bacteria, fungi, and other extremophiles become an emerging option. So far, very few microbial agents and their secreted enzymes have been identified and characterized for plastic degradation, but with low efficiency. It might be due to the predominance of uncultured microbial species, which consequently remain unexplored from the respective plastic degrading milieu. To overcome this problem, metagenomic analysis of microbial population engaged in the plastic biodegradation is advisable to decipher the microbial community structure and to predict their biodegradation potential in situ. Advancements in sequencing technologies and bioinformatics analysis allow the rapid metagenome screening that helps in the identification of total microbial community and also opens up the scope for mining genes or enzymes (hydrolases, laccase, etc.) engaged in polymer degradation. Further, the extraction of the core microbial population and their adaptation, fitness, and survivability can also be deciphered through comparative metagenomic study. It will help to engineer the microbial community and their metabolic activity to speed up the degradation process.

Drag Reduction in Turbulent Flows by Polymer and Fiber Additives

This article provides a review of the recent progress in understanding and predicting additives-induced drag reduction (DR) in turbulent wall-bounded shear flows. We focus on the reduction in friction losses by the dilute addition of high-molecular weight polymers and/or fibers to flowing liquids. Although it has long been reasoned that the dynamical interactions between polymers/fibers and turbulence are responsible for DR, it was not until recently that progress was made in elucidating these interactions in detail. Advancements come largely from numerical simulations of viscoelastic turbulence and detailed measurements in turbulent flows of polymer/fiber solutions. Their impact on current understanding of the mechanics and prediction of DR is discussed, and perspectives for further advancement of knowledge are provided.

Scission of flexible polymers in contraction flow: Predicting the effects of multiple passages

When injected through a contraction, high molecular weight polymer solutions exhibit a sharp increase of apparent viscosity which originates from stretching polymer chains above a critical extension rate. This chain stretching can also induce polymer scission, which then decreases the extensional viscosity. In practice, the two phenomena are difficult to separate. Moreover, these phenomena are often observed in situation where flow instabilities appear. In order to disentangle the two effects we have measured the pressure-flux relation for polymer solutions passing through a hyperbolic contraction. The ratio of the pressure drop to that of the (Newtonian) solvent has a maximum due to the competition between polymer extension and scission. We find a geometry-dependent relation between the flow rates at which the maximum occurs for successive passages in a given contraction, which appears to be independent of molecular weight, concentration, solvent quality and viscosity, and can be used to predict the scission under successive passes.

CrV Bimetallic Phillips Catalyst Prepared by Citric Acid‐Assisted Impregnation on Ethylene Polymerization

AbstractThree CrV bimetallic Phillips catalysts are developed by a citric acid‐assisted impregnation method and studied in ethylene homopolymerization and ethylene/1‐hexene copolymerization. The method benefits to the dispersion of bimetallic active sites, especially for the V ones. The electron binding energy shift of V 2p3/2 in CrV‐1/2‐CA suggests the increased electron deficiency of V active center. The CrV‐1/2‐CA, CrV‐1/3‐CA catalysts present higher activity, broader molecular weight distribution, than the counterparts without CA‐assisted impregnation, suggesting more active sites involved in the reaction. The 1‐hexene is higher inserted in the polyethylene by CrV‐1/2 than the CrV‐1/2‐CA. But the results of temperature rising elution fractionation‐successive self‐nucleation and annealing (TREF‐SSA) show the thinner platelet thickness at the high molecular weight parts of high‐density polyethylene by CrV‐1/2‐CA, suggesting the higher insertion of 1‐hexene and higher tensile properties. The CrV‐1/2‐CA also shows the more hydrogen‐regulated response in the polymerization. The deconvolution of the gel permeation chromatography curves presents the higher fractions of high molecular weight polymer component.

Entanglement Locking in the Unique Elasticity of Polydimethylsiloxane Rubbers

AbstractThe viscoelasticity behavior of the polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) rubber blends of high molecular weight polymers modified by low molecular weight agents is studied in compression mode by stress–strain curves, the creep and step‐strain, and dynamic‐mechanical experiments. The strain spectra highlight the dynamics of active chains at high frequencies and of dangling ends in the low frequencies field. At low deformation, the blending agent enhances the elastic properties by increasing the density of the active chains in the rubber network, in agreement with the classical theories of elasticity. At high deformation, in analogy with the rheological studies on similar liquid blends, the Entanglement Locking model is proposed: the short chains of the blending agent are adsorbed on entanglement sites of long dangling chains, giving effective crosslinks via high entropy dynamics. In this way, the long‐term entanglement locking enhances the density of active chains and elastic behavior. At high deformation, the entanglement locking model enriches the rubber elasticity theories according to the tube network model and Mooney–Rivlin equation. The models herein and the possibility they offer for improving rubber viscoelasticity are valuable for the development of polymer physics and technology.

Poly(arylene ether ketone) with tetra quaternary ammonium carbazole derivative pendant for anion exchange membrane

As a key component of fuel cell, the anion exchange membrane (AEM) must present high durability, which includes dimensional stability，thermal stability，and alkali resistance. In order to obtain AEM with high performance, besides stable structure, the polymer should have high molecular weight and advantaged functional group position. In this work, a novel high molecular weight polymer precursor, poly(arylene ether ketone) (PAEK) with iodobenzene pendent was designed and prepared. And then, the function tetra-quaternary ammonium carbazole was introduced onto polymer backbone by Ullmann grafting reaction and quaterisation. The obtained membranes exhibited good dimensional stability, appropriate thermal stability and high ion conductivity. In addition, the membranes exhibited good alkaline resistance, as it still kept 90% of the conductivity after immersion in 4M NaOH solution for a week. Over all, the membranes in this work are promising for anion exchange membrane fuel cell.

Sugary Coats: Synthesis and Secretion of Extracellular Polysaccharides

Complex carbohydrates are frequently deposited on the cell surface to form cell walls, capsules, or 3‐dimensional matrices called biofilms. Often, the high molecular weight polymers are synthesized intracellularly and transported across at least one biological membrane by dedicated translocation machineries. We are interested in how polysaccharides are assembled and deposited on the cell surface. In particular, bacterial cellulose is a major biofilm component of many enterobacteria and secreted during its synthesis by the membrane‐embedded cellulose synthase, a processive glycosyltransferase. Using the tools of structural and molecular biology, we delineated the mechanism by which the enzyme elongates a cellulose polymer and translocates it across the membrane through a pore formed by its own transmembrane region.We have also examined O antigens, which constitute the variable region of lipopolysaccharides in the outer membrane of Gram‐negative bacteria. The polymers are synthesized inside the cell on a lipid anchor and transported to the periplasm by the WzmWzt ABC transporter. Crystal structures of the transporter in nucleotide‐free and ATP‐bound states suggest a processive translocation mechanism through a channel formed by the transporter. Molecular dynamics simulations suggest that membrane lipids are a fundamental part of the transporter’s function by sealing its channel in a resting state.

2-Phosphine-pyridine-N-oxide palladium and nickel catalysts for ethylene polymerization and copolymerization with polar monomers

A new family of [P,O] late transition metal catalysts, namely 2-phosphine-pyridine-N-oxide palladium complexes Pd1~Pd4 {[κ2(P,O)-2-Ar2P-6-R-(C5H3NO)]PdMeCl} (Pd1: Ar = Ph, R = H; Pd2: Ar = 2-MeO-C6H4, R = H; Pd3: Ar = Ph, R = tBu; Pd4: Ar = 2-MeO-C6H4, R = tBu) and nickel complexes Ni1~Ni4 {[κ2(P,O)-2-Ar2P-6-R-(C5H3NO)]Ni(allyl)}[BArF] (Ni1: Ar = Ph, R = H; Ni2: Ar = 2-MeO-C6H4, R = H; Ni3: Ar = Ph, R = tBu; Ni4: Ar = 2-MeO-C6H4, R = tBu) and Ni5 {[κ2(P,O)-2-Ph2P-6-tBu-(C5H3NO)]2Ni(allyl)}[BArF], was synthesized and comprehensively characterized by NMR spectroscopy, single-crystal X-ray diffraction, and elemental analysis. These new [P,O] palladium and nickel catalysts were evaluated for the (co)polymerization of ethylene. Among the synthesized catalysts, palladium catalysts Pd2 and Pd4 oligomerized ethylene with high activities of 106 g mol−1 h−1, while the nickel counterparts could polymerize ethylene in higher activities and higher polymer molecular weights, among which Ni4 preferred to afford polyethylene with the highest molecular weight. Moreover, Ni4 could catalyze the copolymerization of ethylene and biorenewable polar comonomer methyl 10-undecenoate, with the activity up to 105 g mol−1 h−1 and the incorporation of 0.4–1.2 mol%.

Cationic polymerization of p-methoxystyrene co-initiated by B(C6F5)3: Effect of acetonitrile and proton traps

The cationic polymerization of p-metoxystyrene co-initiated by B(C6F5)3 in CH2Cl2/CH3CN mixtures at room temperature has been studied. It was shown that in the presence of acetonitrile the polymerization proceeds in a quasiliving fashion affording poly(p-methoxystyrene)s with high molecular weight (Mn > 30,000 g mol−1) and low polydispersity (Mw/Mn < 1.35). The increase of the fraction of acetonitrile in the reaction mixture leads to the retardation of polymerization and to some increase of molecular weight. However, the addition of proton traps (2,6-di-tert-butylpyridine or pyridine) to the system results in strong reduction of the reaction rate and the appearance of an induction period when the concentration of proton trap is higher than the concentration of adventitious H2O (~5 mM). Moreover, proton traps act as chain-transfer agents under investigated conditions and their addition to the system converts quasiliving polymerization to conventional chain-transfer dominated process. It was demonstrated that initiation of the polymerization proceeds by protons generated via interaction of B(C6F5)3 with adventitious H2O even in the presence of proton traps, while the haloboration mechanism is ruled out. Acetonitrile plays critical role in the mediating of quasiliving polymerization via stabilization of growing species thus affording the obtaining high molecular weight polymers at elevated temperatures.

Addition of Short Polymer Chains Mechanically Reinforces Glassy Poly(2-vinylpyridine)–Silica Nanoparticle Nanocomposites

The addition of hard fillers to a polymer matrix is a well-known process for achieving mechanical reinforcement. With a decrease in the size of the fillers, the contribution from polymer–particle nanometer-sized interfaces becomes significant, and these interfaces affect the mechanical performance of polymer nanocomposites (PNCs) beyond the limits established for conventional composites. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying the improvement in the mechanical performance of glassy PNCs remain unresolved, necessitating a deeper understanding of the structure–property relationships in these intrinsically heterogeneous systems. In this effort, by using Brillouin light scattering (BLS) and dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA), we demonstrated that adding shorter chains to a PNC prepared with high molecular weight polymers significantly improved the mechanical properties of the PNC in the glassy state. The strongest enhancement of mechanical properties occurred at an optimum concentration of short chains. This is in contrast to the behavior of the glass transition temperature of PNCs which shows a monotonic decrease with an increase in the concentration of shorter chains. Using experimental data and coarse-grained molecular dynamics (MD) simulations, we have identified the molecular mechanism leading to the observed nonmonotonic changes in mechanical reinforcement. This mechanism includes changes in the nanoscale organization at the interface combined with chain stretching amplified by the addition of the short chains. Overall, our approach paves a simple and cost-effective pathway to fabricating glassy PNCs with significantly improved mechanical properties that will fill various practical needs.

Electrodeposition of Zinc in Aqueous Electrolytes Containing High Molecular Weight Polymers

Strong polarization of the ion distribution in liquid electrolytes subjected to potential differences exceeding the thermal voltage, VT = kT/e, produces a hydrodynamic instability termed electroconvection at ion-selective interfaces. Electroconvection is desirable in some situations (e.g., electrodialysis) because it promotes mixing in a stagnant electrolyte layer, enhancing the ion flux at a fixed potential difference. It is undesirable in others (e.g., electrodeposition of metals) where early experiments show that convective fluid rolls associated with hydrodynamic instability in bounded electrolytes produce preferential metal deposition at localized regions on an electrode. Such localized deposition drives the family of morphological instabilities loosely termed dendritic electrodeposition. We experimentally investigate the effect of ultrahigh molecular weight polymer additives on the onset conditions and physical characteristics of both instabilities. Direct observations of electrodeposit morphology and tracer particle motions used in tandem with indirect electrokinetic measurements reveal that even at moderate concentrations, the polymer additives have a large beneficial effect in extending the range of electric potentials where stable electrodeposition is observed. Additionally, we report that at polymer concentrations above the entanglement threshold, high molecular weight polymers impart elasticity to liquid electrolytes which dampen electroconvective flow at a cation-selective interface but have at most a minimal effect on the bulk ionic conductivity of the liquid.

Soluciones HPAM de baja concentración como método de reducción de la retención de polímeros en CEOR

Polymer Flooding has become one of the most implemented EOR techniques, due to three factors: First, Polymer flooding has expanded the range of the screening criteria parameters. Second, this EOR method is more effective than water injection, while handling water management issues in high water-cut reservoirs. Nevertheless, polymer retention can turn a viable technical project into an uneconomical one. Polymer loss due to retention is an inevitable phenomenon, which happens during injection processes. The development of experimental analysis aiming to minimize or reduce polymer loss from the displacing fluid bank is beneficial to broaden the application of this CEOR method. This experimental work evaluated the injection schemes aiming to reduce polymer retention in porous media. The approach consisted of injecting less-concentrated polymer banks followed for the main polymer bank designed for mobility control. An experimental methodology to quantify polymer retention due to each injected polymer bank, cumulative polymer retention, resistance factor, residual resistance factor and inaccessible pore volume (IPV) was developed. The measurement process was based on the injection of 20 PV polymer banks at a constant flow rate of 1ml/min at 25°C, separated by 30 PV brine banks. Two HPAM with molecular weights of 6-8 million and 20 million Daltons using 350mD and 5000 mD sandstone cores were tested, respectively. The HPAM solutions considering a Colombian field (0.7% NaCl) and seawater (3.5% TDS) salinities were prepared. All rock samples were previously submitted to the injection of 50 PV for preventing fines migration. Two injection schemes with variable polymer concentrations were performed: The first one in which the polymer concentration increased in each successive bank, and the second one in which the concentration decreased. HPAM concentration solutions from 50 ppm to 2000 ppm were sequentially used in both injection schemes. By comparing the results of these two schemes, the effect of the injection of the less-concentrated polymer solutions was evaluated. For the increasing concentration experiments, cumulative retention values of 175.7 μg/g and 58.9 μg/g were calculated for the low-molecular weight polymer and the high-molecular weight polymer, respectively. While comparing with decreasing concentration experiments, for the high-molecular weight HPAM a 19% of retention reduction was evidenced, but no retention reduction was observed for the low-molecular weight one. The results indicate that different retention mechanisms are strongly dependents on the absolute permeability of the samples. Additionally, IPV values of 0.5 PV and 0.25 PV were calculated using low and high permeability samples, respectively. There was no linear relation between the absolute permeability reduction and the polymer concentration of the first bank injected into the sample. The novelty of this work is to use sacrificial banks of less-concentrated HPAM solutions as a reducing retention agent for the polymer bank designed for mobility control.

Optimized Design and Development of a Bioresorbable High Rotational Stability Fixation System for Small Bone Fragments

Bioresorbable pins are experiencing a growing interest and a likewise increasing use in orthopedic surgery for bone fixation. Indeed, such devices are naturally degraded by the human body and a subsequent surgery for their removal is not needed. However, bioresorption has a remarkable side effect on the performance of the devices, since mechanical properties decay over time. This aspect is essential for bone healing. In the first 60 days, the pin must bear continuous mechanical stress while preventing torsional slip of bone fragments. Although torsional support can be improved with suitable pin section design, degradation kinetics and the consequent loss in mechanical stability are slowed down while using high molecular weight polymers, whose slow bioresorption increases recovery time and negatively affects patient care. Herein, a bioresorbable pin of new conception, in terms of cross‐sectional shape and material formulation, is presented. Both section and polymer design are optimized through comprehensive mathematical modeling, which synergistically combines degradation and mechanical loads. As a result of the model, bioresorption time is minimized, whereas adequate mechanical resistance is ensured for the first 60 days. The most promising device is then injection molded, sterilized, mechanically tested, and successfully evaluated ex vivo in human femoral heads.

The Preparation of PLA/PLGA Composite Membrane and Its Application as Periodontal Barrier Membrane

We synthesized high molecular weight polymer PLA (polylactic acid) and low molecular weight polymer PLGA [poly (lactic-co-glycolic acid)]. Then we prepared PLA/PLGA composite membrane by blending these two polymers, and tested various properties, such as physical, mechanical and biological properties for periodontal barrier. When PLA/PLGA = 2: 1 (w/w), degradation rate of the membrane was 63.7% within 32 weeks. The membrane showed aperture pores of 2 - 5 µm, the minimum tensile strength of 5.75MPa, and the porosity above 90%, which was beneficial to the entry of nutrients and the elimination of metabolic wastes. Under SEM (scanning electron microscope), we observed that gingival fibroblasts only grew on the positive surface, and didn’t grow on the negative side or the cross-section, indicating that the membrane played a good role of mechanical barrier.

Design of a rigid side chain for poly(N‐vinylamide) derivatives bearing an alkenyl group and evaluation of their ability to inhibit tetrahydrofuran hydrate crystal growth

AbstractKinetic hydrate inhibitors (KHIs) are water‐soluble polymers that are used to prevent gas hydrate formation in flow lines during upstream oil and gas production. All commercial polymers have pendant hydrophobic moieties with saturated carbon–carbon bonds. In our previous studies, poly(N‐vinylamide) derivatives bearing alkyl groups and ethylene glycol groups were synthesized and investigated as KHIs. For comparison, we have now synthesized poly(N‐vinylamide) derivatives in which an alkenyl group has been introduced at the N‐position to improve the rigidity and steric hindrance of the side chain. The KHI performances of synthesized polymers were evaluated by the method of tetrahydrofuran (THF) hydrate crystal growth. The molecular weight of the synthesized polymers affected their ability to inhibit THF hydrate crystal growth. Higher molecular weight polymers, above 4,000 g/mol, tended to show higher inhibition efficiencies compared with lower molecular weight polymers of around 1,000 g/mol. However, the KHI performance of poly(N‐vinylamide) derivatives bearing alkenyl groups was generally lower than the polymers in the previous studies. This indicates that the side chain rigidity and/or steric hindrance do not significantly influence the KHI performance.

Impact of Various Crumb Rubber Modifications on Asphalt Binder and Mixture Properties

As the price of asphalt binder continues to rise, state agencies are looking for sustainable ways to reduce the cost of asphalt pavements without compromising performance. One such alternative is the use of crumb rubber, derived from waste tires, in binders of asphalt mixtures. Blending virgin asphalt binder with ambient or cryogenic ground crumb rubbers along with additional modifiers to produce sustainable asphalt mixtures was studied. The modifiers evaluated include E-rubber (free flowing rubber pellets), SBS, sulfur, and Rpolymer (reactive polymer polyolefin blend coated micronized rubber particles). Thermogravimetric analysis was used to determine the natural rubber to synthetic rubber ratio in the ground tire rubbers. Gel permeation chromatography was used to investigate the molecular structure and changes occurring in the asphalt binder on blending with rubber/modifier. Scanning electron microscopy was used to examine the physical nature of the binder blends. All of the binder blends were evaluated using the multiple stress creep recovery test. Mixtures prepared from modified binders were characterized using semicircular bend (SCB) test at intermediate temperature and Hamburg wheel-tracking (LWT) test. Correlation of physical properties of crumb rubber modified asphalt binder with apparent molecular weight of binder components was examined. Asphalt mixtures containing ambient or cryogenic ground crumb rubber additives did not exhibit improved mixture intermediate temperature cracking performance as compared to conventional mixture as measured by SCB test Jc value. Addition of elastomeric high molecular weight polymer additives improved MSCR test results of binder blends when compared to rubber blends with no additional polymer additives. Addition of E-rubber or R-polymer to the asphalt binder improved SCB intermediate temperature test results of the corresponding mixtures. It was noted that the presence of high molecular weight elastomeric species in asphalt binder blends is necessary to obtain acceptable intermediate temperature cracking performance. Presence of crumb rubber in asphalt binder contributed to the increase in percent high molecular weight species that provided an enhanced mixture rut resistance.

Scalable Route to Electroactive and Light Active Perylene Diimide Dye Polymer Binder for Lithium-Ion Batteries.

Developing multifunctional polymeric binders is key to the design of energy storage technologies with value-added features. We report that a multigram-scale synthesis of perylene diimide polymer (PPDI), from a single batch via polymer analogous reaction route, yields high molecular weight polymers with suitable thermal stability and minimized solubility in electrolytes, potentially leading to improved binding affinity toward electrode particles. Further, it develops strategies for designing copolymers with virtually any desired composition via a subsequent grafting, leading to purpose-built binders. PPDI dye as both binder and electroactive additive in lithium half-cells using lithium iron phosphate exhibits good electrochemical performance.

Development of a polysulfone membrane with explicit characteristics for separation of low density lipoprotein from blood plasma

A polysulfone (PSf)-based membrane with a specific structure is developed by simultaneous combination of PVP-K90 as a hydrophilic high molecular weight (MW) polymer together with water as strong and glycerol as weak non-solvent additives, in order to separate low density lipoprotein (LDL) from blood plasma. Molecular weight cut-off (MWCO) and molecular weight retention onset (MWRO) of membranes were evaluated and found that membranes with 1.1×106 - 1.2 × 106 Da MWCO (M-W1, M-G3 and M-G4) displayed the best performance in current application. Assessment of mean pore size indicated that the membranes with 36–41 nm mean pore diameter had the best performance based on solute transport method. The membrane separation performance toward blood plasma exhibited that the optimized membranes could separate LDL from blood plasma by over 75%. Cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors verified that a specifically optimized membrane has a positive role in lowering CVD risks. The data acquired from plasma fractionation accompany with the scanning electron microscopy (SEM) studies revealed that a double-compartment nodular morphology was effective to separate LDL from smooth passage of other vital components in the blood plasma. Low protein adsorption, prolonged prothrombin time (PT) and activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT) demonstrated membranes hemocompatibility. Also, cell viability assay confirmed membranes biocompatibility.

An arsenal of tools based on Kendrick mass defects to process congested electrospray ionization high-resolution mass spectra of polymers with multiple charging.

Electrospray ionization (ESI) favors the multiple charging of high molecular weight polymer samples and allows their high-resolution mass analysis in the low-mass range. It also induces the detection of numerous ion series at different charge states with different adducts complicating the interpretation of the mass spectrum which should be facilitated by an appropriate data processing. An arsenal of tools based on the Kendrick mass defect (KMD) is proposed to process congested ESI high-resolution mass spectra of poly(propylene oxide) (PPO) samples. The combination of regular, charge-dependent, and resolution-enhanced KMD plots in addition to a "remainders" plot and a new three-dimensional plot offers unrivaled capabilities of filtering for any minor series among thousands of points. The sequential data processing is conducted using Kendo, a spreadsheet developed in-house for an advanced KMD analysis. The charge-state distribution is easily evaluated by counting the parallel lines in a regular KMD plot. A charge-dependent resolution-enhanced KMD plot instantly reveals the variation of adducted ions at a given charge state, helping the user to choose the best analytical conditions. Ion series at different charge states from PPO oligomers carrying different end-groups are also efficiently extracted using several combinations of KMD and remainders plots and assigned using a new simulator tool. The innovative combination of existing and new KMD-related plots, selection tools, and simulator all combined in a single spreadsheet dramatically facilitates the processing and interpretation of complex ESI mass spectral data. The presented tools may be extended to any other class of homo-, co- and terpolymers.