| dc.description.abstract | Polyurethane (PU) di-block copolymers are one of the most versatile polymeric materials, commonly manufactured in the form of flexible and rigid foams, thermoplastics, thermosets, coatings, adhesives, sealants, and elastomers. In a PU network, the polymer backbone is comprised of hard and soft segments. PU hard segments include aromatic or aliphatic diisocyanates (-NCO) and soft segments consist of aliphatic polyols (-OH). PUs are extremely complex materials, which can be challenging to characterize due to intrinsic polydispersity, cross-linking, and structural heterogeneity among the most purified samples. The development of advanced analytical techniques is needed for customizable material design. In this work, a series of mass spectrometry (MS) based techniques such as electrospray and matrix assisted laser/desorption ionization were used study PUs and their unique precursors. Additionally, tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) was used to study fragmentation pathways associated with different PU systems. Ion mobility-mass spectrometry (IM-MS) also provided a multidimensional approach to studying unique gas-phase architectural motifs, cation coordination, and fragmentation pathways. The combination of MS, MS/MS, and IM-MS/MS prove to be useful for detailed PU characterization. | |
