The characterization of dendronized poly(ethylene glycol)s and poly(ethylene glycol) multi-arm stars using matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry

•MALDI-ToF MS was examined as a tool for confirming purity of dendronized and star PEGs.•A MS methodology was developed for confirming the number of polymer end groups.•Polymerization reactions can also be easily monitored using MALDI-ToF MS.

The synthesis of branched poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) derivatives, namely star PEG and dendronized PEG, can be challenging and their purity can be difficult to ascertain using traditional techniques, such as NMR and GPC. Herein, the detailed characterization of these branched PEGs using MALDI-ToF MS was investigated in order to confirm their structural purity. In this light, mass spectrometry offers a number of advantages for polymer characterization, including the ability to get detailed structural data, such as end group masses, from microgram-scale samples. In addition, the ability to rapidly acquire data from crude reaction aliquots makes MALDI-ToF MS ideal for monitoring end group transformations.

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