Characterization of poly(ethylene glycol) esters using low energy collision-induced dissociation in electrospray ionization mass spectrometry.

A method of characterizing polyglycol esters, an important class of industrial polymer, has been developed using electrospray ionization ion trap mass spectrometry (ESI ITMS). The fragmentation behavior of polyglycol esters is found to be different from that of polyglycols whose functional end groups are linked to the polymer chain via ether bonds (i.e., polyglycol ethers). The fragmentation pattern of an oligomer ion generated by low-energy collision-induced dissociation is strongly dependent on the type of cation used for ionization. It is shown that structural information on the polymer chain and end groups is best obtained by examining the fragment ion spectra of oligomers ionized by ammonium, alkali, and transition metal ions. The application of this method is demonstrated in the analysis of two surfactants based on fatty acid methyl ester ethoxylates.