Block lengths and block sequence of linear triblock and glycerol derivative diblock copolyethers by electrospray ionization -: Collision-induced dissociation mass spectrometry

Chemical properties of ethylene oxide (EO) and propylene oxide (PO) block copolymers are strongly dependent on their sequence. Useful information about copolymer sequence can be obtained by tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS). In this work, collision-induced dissociation (CID) of ammonium adducts of various linear triblock and glycerol derivative diblock copolyethers produced by electrospray ionization was studied under low-energy conditions. At first, homopolymers MS/MS spectra enabled us to identify the nature of the product ions and to suggest decomposition pathways. Then, it was shown that copolyethers with the same composition in each repeat unit but with inversed block sequences (i.e., PEO-b-PPOb-PEO vs PPO-b-PEO-b-PPO and gPEO-b-PPO vs gPPOb-PEO) can be easily distinguished with characteristic fragment ions. In the case of linear copolymers, CID spectra gave pertinent information about block lengths.