Speedy quantitative microstructure determination of Poly (ethylene-co-1-hexene) at triads by 1H-13C two-dimensional NMR

One of the most commonly utilized techniques for microstructure determination of polyolefins is quantitative 13C NMR, but it generally requires long experiment times and large amounts of samples to achieve reliable quantification for its low sensitivity. In this context, we report the use of two-dimensional (2D) 1H-13C heteronuclear single-quantum correlation (HSQC) spectroscopy to rapidly determine the microstructure of a typical linear low density polyethylene (LLDPE), poly(ethylene-co-1-hexene) at triads. Moreover, the 2D HSQC with non-uniform sampling (NUS) enable the reduction of experiment time from more than 23 h to several minutes with composition accuracy higher than 99.5%. The methodology is robust, and it can find wide-spread applications in areas where a quantitative analysis of polymers is necessary.

Automated summary

The utilization of two-dimensional 1H-13C HSQC spectroscopy allows for rapid and accurate determination of the microstructure of LLDPE polymers, reducing experiment time to minutes with a composition accuracy of over 99.5%. This methodology is robust and can be widely applied in areas requiring quantitative analysis of polymers.