Two-Dimensional Chromatography of Complex Polymers, 7-Detailed Study of Polystyrene-block-Polyisoprene Diblock Copolymers Prepared by Sequential Anionic Polymerization and Coupling Chemistry

Two-dimensional chromatographic methods were developed using LC-CC in the first and SEC in the second dimension. These methods were applied for the investigation of PS-b-PI diblock copolymers synthesized by different approaches: sequential living anionic polymerization and coupling of living precursor blocks. The first dimension separates according to the individual block length of PS or PI blocks, whereas the second dimension separates with respect to the total molar masses of components. 2D-LC analysis provides information on the purity of the reaction products, the presence of by-products, the chemical compositions and the molar masses of all product components. The accuracy and selectivity of 2D-LC is discussed.