Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometry of Polymers

这项名为“聚合物飞行时间质谱学”的研究项目将由范德比尔特大学的David Hercules博士实施，并得到分析和表面化学项目以及多学科活动办公室的支持。这个项目是杜邦的詹姆斯·埃德曼博士作为共同PI的一个目标合作。研究主要集中在复杂的共聚体系上。本研究有三个具体目标：(1)改进有限化学反应技术。有限化学反应的目标是通过以受控的方式化学降解聚合物来部分断开聚合物链。所得产物将用于聚合物的结构表征。(2)利用二次离子质谱仪(SIMS)研究嵌段共聚聚合物的表面偏析现象。(3)本研究将利用有限的化学反应和基质辅助激光解吸电离(MALDI)、SIMS和电喷雾等质谱技术来表征聚酰亚胺聚合物这一难溶的复杂聚合物体系，这项工作对分析和聚合物化学都具有重要意义。所选择的聚酰亚胺是一种特别困难的聚合物体系，因为它既复杂又不溶。该项目的规模很大，与这项工作相关的风险也很大。这项研究的成功将为更广泛类别的聚合物的分析提供一个模板。它将提供有关聚合物的支化和结构的重要信息。

This research project entitled "Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometry of Polymers" will be carried out by Dr. David Hercules of Vanderbilt University and is supported by the Analytical and Surface Chemistry Program and the Office of Multidisciplinary Activities. The project is a GOALI collaboration with Dr. James Edman of Dupont as a co-PI. The research focuses on complex copolymer systems. There are three specific goals to the research: (1) to improve the technique of limited chemical reaction. The goal of limited chemical reaction is to partially break the polymer chain by chemically degrading the polymer in a controlled fashion. The products obtained will be used for structural characterization of the polymer. (2) This research will study the surface segregation which occurs in block co-polymers using secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS). (3) The research will utilize limited chemical reaction and the mass spectrometric techniques of matrix assisted laser desorption ionization (MALDI), SIMS and electrospray for the characterization of polyimide polymers which are an insoluble and complex polymer system.This work is of fundamental importance both to analytical and polymer chemistry. The polyimide class selected is a particularly difficult polymer system because it is both complex and insoluble. The scope of the project is large and there is considerable risk associated with the work. The success of this research will provide a template for the analysis of broader classes of polymers. It will provide important information on branching and structure of polymers.