Elucidating the Topology and Physical Properties of Triblock Copolymers Using Ion Mobility Mass Spectrometry

A combination of electrospray ionization (ESI) and ion mobility mass spectrometry (IMMS) is used to successfully determine the characteristic ratio (C-n) of homopolymers and triblock copolymers. Two different copolymer systems are analyzed: a poly(ethylene glycol)/poly(propylene glycol) (PEG/PPG) and a poly(methyl acrylate)/poly(butyl acrylate) (PMA/PBA) based system. The monomer composition within the copolymers is chosen to be constant while changing the block sequence along the main chain, in order to ensure a reliable determination of the influence of the topology on the physical properties. It can be demonstrated that the block structure has a significant influence on C-n and therefore on the physical properties of the block copolymers. For both systems, the inner block dominates the overall physical properties.

Automated summary

The combination of ESI and IMMS is used to determine the characteristic ratio of homopolymers and triblock copolymers. Altering the block sequence has a significant impact on physical properties, with the inner block dominating overall properties. Keeping monomer composition constant is crucial for reliable determination of the influence of topology.