Generation of end‐group information from polyethers by matrix‐assisted laser desorption/ionisation collision‐induced dissociation mass spectrometry

A series of polyethers, namely poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG), poly(propylene glycol) (PPG), poly(butylene glycol) (PBG) and poly(tetramethylene glycol) (PTMeG), has been characterised by means of matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionisation collision-induced dissociation (MALDI-CID) using a hybrid sector orthogonal-time-of-flight (TOF) instrument. The data indicate that this technique can be used to generate information about the end-group functionality of these polymers, including in some cases information about branching of the alkyl chains of the initiating groups. Proposals are made for the fragmentation pathways for these polymers.