The importance of accurate and precise molecular weight measurement in pulsed-laser polymerization

Molecular weight distributions generated by pulsed-laser polymerization have been determined experimentally using multi-detector size exclusion chromatography (SEC). The conditions for accurate and precise SEC have been defined. The importance of the inter-detector delay (IDD) is stressed and two different methods of defining IDD are compared. In addition this work highlights the problems associated with the use of Mark-Houwink constants in constructing a universal calibration curve. Some preliminary results obtained from matrix-assisted-laser-desorption-ionisation mass spectrometry are also presented.