Physical properties of synthetic polymers are greatly influenced by the distributions in their molecular characteristics such as molecular weight, molecular weight distribution (MWD), chemical composition distribution (CCD), chain structure and chain ...
Physical properties of synthetic polymers are greatly influenced by the distributions in their molecular characteristics such as molecular weight, molecular weight distribution (MWD), chemical composition distribution (CCD), chain structure and chain end functionality (CEF). In this disserration, particularly focus was on chain structure and CEF. The chain structure of polymers (linear, branched and cyclic polymer) affect many of its physical properties including glass transition temperature , strength, toughness, solution viscosity, solubility and the size of individual polymer coils in solution. Chain end functionalization of polymers has found many applications, for example, in making telechelic polymer, surface modification, grafting onto approaches and producing multiblock copolymers. However, the inevitable inhomogeneity in the chain structure and CEF in synthetic polymers, precise molecular characterization is necessary. High performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), 1H nuclear laser magnetic resonance (1H NMR), and matrix assisted laser desorption/ionization time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) are the most suitable analytical techniques to separate and characterize the synthetic polymers.
In chapter 1, basic principles of HPLC and MALDI-TOF MS for the characterization of synthetic polymers are briefly reviewed. HPLC separation of polymer can be largely divided into three different mods: size exclusion chromatography (SEC), interaction chromatography(IC) and liquid chromatography at the critical condition (LCCC). To predict the retention behavior of polymers in HPLC, the overall understanding of basic separation modes is needed. MALDI-TOF MS is a soft ionization method that enables resolution of individual n-mers of polymers in a mass spectrum distribution. This resolution enables the elucidation of not only mass distribution and repeat unit mass, but also the identity and fidelity of CEF.
In chapter 2, the influence of chain structure and CEF of polymers for critical adsorption point (CAP) of liquid chromatography was investigated. To examine the influence of chain structure and chemically different CEF separately, two different linear polymers (Linear PS, 2-arm PS) and a 4-arm star PS were synthesized and studied by normal phase and reversed phase liquid chromatography (NPLC and RPLC). The experimental results were then compared with the computer simulation results to elucidate the effect of chain structure and chemically different CEF on the CAP of linear and branched polymers. It was found that the column temperature at CAP (TCAP), TCAP (Linear PS) = TCAP (2-arm PS) > TCAP (4-arm PS) in both RPLC and NPLC which can be attributed to the variation in chain structure. However, the elution times at CAP (tE,CAP) of three polymers are all different: In NPLC, tE,CAP (Linear PS) > tE,CAP (2-arm PS) > tE,CAP (4-arm PS) while in RPLC, tE,CAP (4-arm PS) > tE,CAP (2-arm PS) > tE,CAP (Linear PS). The variation of tE,CAP can be explained by the contribution of the CEF. The computer simulation results are in good agreement with the chromatography experiments results and support the interpretation of experimental data.
In chapter 3, living and dead chain of polystyrene synthesized by RAFT polymerization were separated and characterized by HPLC, 1H NMR and MALDI-TOF MS. To achieve full chromatographic resolution of different living and dead chains, a polystyrene with distinctive CEF was prepared in RAFT polymerization by using a specially designed chain-transfer agent (R−S−(C = S)−S−Z) with polar hydroxyl end groups at both R and Z and a thermal initiator without hydroxyl group. The structures of separated living chains derived from the RAFT agent and initiator were characterized using 1H NMR and MALDI-TOF MS. Molecular-weight distribution (MWD) of the living chains derived from the RAFT agent is close to the Poisson distribution. However, the living chains grown from the initiator have a broader MWD with low molecular weight tailing. As the [initiator]/[RAFT agent] ratio increases, both the amount and the dispersity of the living chains initiated by the initiator fragment increase while the MWD of the living chains initiated by the fragment of the RAFT agent remains unchanged.
In chapter 4, various topological polymers such as 4-arm star, tricyclic, eight shaped and polyring are synthesized by ATRP and characterized by SEC, 1H NMR and MALDI-TOF MS. Although hydrodynamic volume of the products with the same molecular weight were somewhat different depending upon their chain structure, but the difference was not large enough to be fully resolved by SEC. As a result, SEC analysis alone is not enough to confirm the chain structure transformation of polymer. To identify the chain structure transformation, the topological polymers were determined by 1H NMR and MALDI-TOF MS.