TY - JOUR A1 - Gabriel, Stefan A1 - Steinhoff, R.F. A1 - Pabst, M. A1 - Schwarzinger, C. A1 - Zenobi, R. A1 - Panne, Ulrich A1 - Weidner, Steffen T1 - Improved analysis of ultra-high molecular mass polystyrenes in matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry using DCTB matrix and caesium salts N2 - Rationale The ionization of polystyrenes in matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry (MALDI-MS) is typically achieved by the use of silver salts. Since silver salts can cause severe problems, such as cluster formation, fragmentation of polymer chains and end group cleavage, their substitution by alkali salts is highly desirable. Methods The influence of various cations (Ag+, Cs+ and Rb+) on the MALDI process of polystyrene (PS) mixtures and high mass polystyrenes was examined. The sample preparation was kept as straightforward as possible. Consequently, no recrystallization or other cleaning procedures were applied. Results The investigation of a polystyrene mixture showed that higher molecular polystyrenes could be more easily ionized using caesium, rather than rubidium or silver salts. In combination with the use of DCTB as matrix a high-mass polymer analysis could be achieved, which was demonstrated by the detection of a 1.1 MDa PS. Conclusions A fast, simple and robust MALDI sample preparation method for the analysis of ultra-high molecular weight polystyrenes based on the use of DCTB and caesium salts has been presented. The suitability of the presented method has been validated by using different mass spectrometers and detectors. KW - MALDI KW - Mega-dalton KW - Ionization KW - Caesium KW - Polystyrene KW - DCTB PY - 2015 UR - http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/rcm.7197/full U6 - https://doi.org/10.1002/rcm.7197 SN - 0951-4198 SN - 1097-0231 VL - 29 IS - 11 SP - 1039 EP - 1046 PB - Wiley CY - Chichester AN - OPUS4-33191 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Kricheldorf, H.R. A1 - Weidner, Steffen A1 - Lahcini, M. T1 - Multicyclic polyesters of trimesic acid and alkanediols and the theory of network formation N2 - Trimesoyl chloride is polycondensed with various alpha,omega'-alkanediols in dichloromethane at different concentrations using equifunctional feed ratios. As evidenced by MALDI-TOF (matrix assisted laser desorption/ionization-time of flight) mass spectrometry the soluble reaction products mainly consist of perfect multicyclic oligomers and polymers. The solphase extracted from the gels also consists of perfect multicycles. SEC (size exclusion chromatography) measurements show that both soluble reaction products and extracted solphases also contain a high molar mass fraction of perfect and nonperfect multicycles extending up to masses beyond 10 5 g mol-1. When the polycondensation is stopped after a few minutes perfect multicycles are already detectable in the reaction mixture along with functional (multi)cyclic oligomers. These results prove that at initial monomer concentrations < 0.2 mol L-1 networks and large multicyclic polymers are synthesized from functional cyclic oligomers formed in early stages of the polycondensation and not from hyperbranched polymers. This interpretation is presented as 'egg-first theory' and compared with the 'hen-first theory' of Stockmayer and Flory. KW - a2 + b3 polycondensation KW - Cyclization KW - MALDI KW - Multicyclic polymers KW - Networks PY - 2015 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1002/macp.201500245 SN - 1022-1352 SN - 1521-3935 VL - 216 IS - 21 SP - 2095 EP - 2106 PB - Wiley-VCH Verl. CY - Weinheim AN - OPUS4-35282 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Fischer, J.L. A1 - Lutomski, C.A. A1 - El-Baba, T.J. A1 - Siriwardena-Mahanama, B.N. A1 - Weidner, Steffen A1 - Falkenhagen, Jana A1 - Allen, M. J. A1 - Trimpin, S. T1 - Matrix-assisted ionization-ion mobility spectrometry-mass spectrometry: Selective analysis of a europium-PEG complex in a crude mixture N2 - The analytical utility of a new and simple to use ionization method, matrix-assisted ionization (MAI), coupled with ion mobility spectrometry (IMS) and mass spectrometry (MS) is used to characterize a 2-armed europium(III)-containing poly(ethylene glycol) (Eu-PEG) complex directly from a crude sample. MAI was used with the matrix 1,2-dicyanobenzene, which affords low chemical background relative to matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) and electrospray ionization (ESI). MAI provides high ion abundance of desired products in comparison to ESI and MALDI. Inductively coupled plasma-MS measurements were used to estimate a maximum of 10% of the crude sample by mass was the 2-arm Eu-PEG complex, supporting evidence of selective ionization of Eu-PEG complexes using the new MAI matrix, 1,2-dicyanobenzene. Multiply charged ions formed in MAI enhance the IMS gas-phase separation, especially relative to the singly charged ions observed with MALDI. Individual components are cleanly separated and readily identified, allowing characterization of the 2-arm Eu-PEG conjugate from a mixture of the 1-arm Eu-PEG complex and unreacted starting materials. Size-exclusion chromatography, liquid chromatography at critical conditions, MALDI-MS, ESI-MS, and ESI-IMS-MS had difficulties with this analysis, or failed. KW - Matrix-assisted ionization ion mobility spectrometry mass spectrometry KW - Europium KW - Poly(ethylene glycol) KW - Size-exclusion chromatography KW - Liquid chromatography at critical conditions KW - Electrospray ionization KW - Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization KW - Inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry KW - ESI KW - MALDI KW - SEC PY - 2015 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1007/s13361-015-1233-8 SN - 1044-0305 VL - 26 IS - 12 SP - 2086 EP - 2095 PB - Elsevier CY - New York, NY AN - OPUS4-35283 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER -