Poly(propylene oxide)s can be analyzed efficiently with respect to functionality and molar mass by coupled liquid chromatography and MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry. Both techniques are coupled via a robotic interface, where the matrix is coaxially added to the eluate and spotted dropwise onto the MALDI target. It is shown that size exclusion chromatography and liquid chromatography at critical conditions of adsorption coupled to MALDI-TOF yield useful structural information on oligomer masses and chemical composition. In particular, the analysis of technical poly(propylene oxide) triols by LC-CC/MALDI-TOF reveals the presence of diols and monools in addition to the triols. The oligomer distributions of all functionality fractions are determined.
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Keil et al. (2001) studied this question.