Review: mass spectrometry of step-growth polymers

For at least two decades different mass spectrometric techniques have been applied for polymer analysis, including the qualitative determination of chemical compositions, end group identification, functionality type distribution and the determination of the cyclisation extend at each degree of polymerisation. Molecular weights exceeding 100 KDa are provable by MALDI-ToF mass spectrometry. Further, molecular weight distributions are determined by MADLI-ToF. However, there are some hints that, there is a discrimination against higher molecular weight species in samples with polydispersity of more than 1.2. Furthermore, pathways for dendritic and hyper-branched polymers, supramolecular polymers and nano condensates are analysed by help of mass spectrometry.