Identification and quantification of polyethylene glycol types in polyethylene glycol methyl ether and polyethylene glycol vinyl ether

Quantitative determination of polyethylene glycol (PEG) impurities in two monofunctional polyglycol types, PEG methyl ether (M-PEG) and PEG vinyl ether (V-PEG), has been carried out by reversed-phase liquid chromatography with evaporative light scattering detection (ELSD). In addition to optimizing the resolution between PEG and monofunctional PEG peaks, the major focus has been to determine the molecular weights of PEG impurities in M-PEG and V-PEG of diverse molecular weights. The latter is achieved by examining liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (LC–MS) mass spectra of both monofunctional PEG and PEG in several cases, and matching peak retention times with those of available PEG standards for all M-PEG and V-PEG sample types. This information is helpful in selecting the appropriate PEG standard to determine PEG content in each sample type. ELSD response factors for various PEG standards have also been compared. It has been found that PEG standards with molecular weights from 1000 Da to 8000 Da show responses that are within 10% of each other. However, a low molecular weight PEG such as PEG 400, provides approximately 30% less response compared to its higher molecular weight counterparts.