Molecular Weight and Tacticity of Oligoacrylates by Capillary Electrophoresis–Mass Spectrometry

Marianne Gaborieau; Tim J. Causon; Yohann Guillaneuf; Emily F. Hilder; Patrice Castignolles

doi:10.1071/CH10088

RESEARCH FRONT

Molecular Weight and Tacticity of Oligoacrylates by Capillary Electrophoresis–Mass Spectrometry

Marianne Gaborieau ^A ^C , Tim J. Causon ^B , Yohann Guillaneuf ^A ^E , Emily F. Hilder ^B and Patrice Castignolles ^A ^D ^F

+ Author Affiliations

- Author Affiliations

^A Key Centre for Polymer & Colloids, University of Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia.

^B Australian Centre for Research on Separation Science (ACROSS), School of Chemistry, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tas. 7001, Australia.

^C Nanoscale Organisation and Dynamics Group, College of Health and Science, University of Western Sydney, Penrith South DC, NSW 1797, Australia.

^D Australian Centre for Research on Separation Science (ACROSS), School of Natural Sciences, University of Western Sydney, Penrith South DC, NSW 1797, Australia.

^E Université de Provence, Marseilles, 13397 Marseille Cedex 20, France.

^F Corresponding author. Email: p.castignolles@uws.edu.au

Australian Journal of Chemistry 63(8) 1219-1226 https://doi.org/10.1071/CH10088
Submitted: 17 February 2010 Accepted: 20 May 2010 Published: 10 August 2010

Abstract

Oligo(acrylic acid) efficiently stabilizes polymeric particles, especially particles produced by reversible addition–fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) (as hydrophilic block of an amphiphilic copolymer). Capillary electrophoresis (CE) has a far higher resolution power to separate these oligomers than the commonly used size exclusion chromatography. Coupling CE to electrospray ionization mass spectrometric detection unravels the separation mechanism. CE separates these oligomers, not only according to their degree of polymerization, but also according to their tacticity, in agreement with NMR analysis. Such analysis will provide insight into the role of these oligomers as stabilizers in emulsion polymerization, and into the mechanism of the RAFT polymerization with respect to degree of polymerization and tacticity.

Acknowledgements

We would like to thank Dr Brian Hawkett (KCPC) and Professor R. Andrew Shalliker (ACROSS, UWS) for discussions, as well as Elham Hosseini Nejad for supplying the oligomethacrylate. This research was supported under Australian Research Council’s Discovery and Linkage, Infrastructure, Equipment and Facilities (LE0668471) Funding Schemes.

References

Molecular Weight and Tacticity of Oligoacrylates by Capillary Electrophoresis–Mass Spectrometry

Abstract

Acknowledgements

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