Characterisation of fluorinated copolymers using liquid chromatography coupled on-line to mass spectrometry, with automated data interpretation.

A perfluorinated co-polyether was characterised in terms of the number and type of functional end groups present on the molecule. The polymer was separated chromatographically according to the polarity of the polymer end groups and the separation was coupled on-line to an electrospray ionisation time-of-flight mass spectrometer. Negative-mode electrospray ionisation of the relatively non-polar polymer was achieved by post-column addition of a polar constituent to the mobile phase.