Acquisition of a Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption Ionization Mass Spectrometer for the Analysis of Polymers

小行星9703946 该奖项为配备基质辅助激光解吸/电离（MALDI-TOF-MS）的飞行时间质谱仪提供支持，用于分析聚合物材料。 该仪器将支持阿克伦大学聚合物科学和化学系正在进行和未来的研究，阿克伦大学是四十多年来聚合物研究的领先中心。 这些部门开展的许多项目经常需要对合成聚合物的质量、组成、完整性和纯度进行表征。 这些问题可以通过MALDI质谱法以高度特异性解决，该技术目前在该大学尚不具备。 阿克伦大学的聚合物研究重点是新型聚合物材料的合成及其物理和机械性能的检查。 具体的研究领域将受益于MALDI-MS，包括（1）新的有机和硅-有机聚合物的合成，（ii）聚合物官能化的新方法的开发，（iii）包括活性阳离子聚合和基团转移聚合的新聚合机理，（iv）环状和径向星形支化聚合物的制备，（v）评价大分子的结构和性能之间的关系，以及（vi）生物聚合物/合成聚合物比较研究。阿克伦大学的其他研究人员也可以使用该仪器，他们需要MALDI-MS来解决分析问题。 阿克伦大学是爱迪生聚合物创新公司（EPIC）的积极参与者，EPIC是一个由凯斯西储大学和当地聚合物公司共同赞助的财团。 该联盟内的联合项目促进了聚合物科学系与EPIC社区研究人员之间的密切联系，目前EPIC社区缺乏合成聚合物的MALDI质谱分析能力。 阿克伦大学计划中的MALDI-MS设施将为EPIC合作者和俄亥俄州东北部需要质谱法解决结构问题的其他科学家提供这项服务。 MALDI-TOF-MS是分析聚合物材料的首选方法。 它可以快速、准确地提供聚合物的分子量和分子量分布。 对于较低分子量的聚合物（10 kDa），该技术提供了有关重复单元，端基和其他组成特性的见解。 对于多分散性相当低的聚合物（Mw/Mn ~1.5），MALDI具有直接测定平均分子量参数的能力。 对于具有较高多分散性的聚合物，窄级分（例如，通过GPC分离）可以成功地通过MALDI进行分析。 这些信息是必不可少的合成和机械聚合物研究中遇到的挑战性问题给出明确的答案。 ***

9703946 Wesdemiotis This award provides support for a time-of-flight mass spectrometer equipped with matrix-assisted laser desorption / ionization (MALDI-TOF-MS), for the analysis of polymeric materials. The instrument will support ongoing and future studies within the Departments of Polymer Science and Chemistry at the University of Akron, a leading center of polymer research for over forty years. Many of the projects carried out in these departments regularly require characterization of the mass, composition, integrity, and purity of synthetic polymers. These issues can be addressed with high specificity by MALDI mass spectrometry, a technique that is not currently available at the University. Polymer research at the University of Akron is focused on the synthesis of novel polymeric materials and the examination of their physical and mechanical properties. Specific research areas will benefit from MALDI-MS including (1) synthesis of new organic and silicon-organic polymers, (ii) development of new methods for polymer functionalization, (iii) new polymerization mechanisms including living cationic polymerization and group- transfer polymerization, (iv) preparation of cyclic and radial star-branched polymers, (v) evaluation of the relationship between structure and properties of macromolecules, and (vi) biopolymer / synthetic polymer comparison studies. The instrument will also be accessible to other researchers at the University of Akron who need MALDI-MS to solve analytical problems. %%% The University of Akron is an active participant in the Edison Polymer Innovation Corporation (EPIC), a state-sponsored consortium with Case Western Reserve University and local polymer corporations. Joint projects within this consortium have fostered close ties between the Department of Polymer Science and researchers in the EPIC community which, at present, lacks a MALDI mass spectrometry capability for synthetic polymers. The planned MALDI-MS facility at the University of Akron will provide this service to EPIC collaborators and to other scientists in northeast Ohio requiring mass spectrometry for the solution of structural problems. MALDI-TOF-MS is the method of choice for the analysis of polymeric materials. It can supply rapidly and accurately the molecular weight and molecular weight distribution of polymers. With lower molecular weight polymers (10 kDa), the technique provides insight about the repeat units, end groups, and other compositional properties. For polymers of reasonably low polydispersity (Mw/Mn ~1.5), MALDI has the ability to determine directly average molecular weight parameters. For polymers of higher polydispersity, narrow fractions (obtained, e.g., via GPC separations) can be successfully analyzed by MALDI. Such information is essential for giving definitive answers to the challenging problems encountered in synthetic and mechanistic polymer studies. ***