STRUCTURAL CHARACTERIZATION OF BUTADIENE STYRENE COPOLYMERS BY FAST-ATOM-BOMBARDMENT MASS-SPECTROMETRY ANALYSIS OF THE PARTIAL OZONOLYSIS PRODUCTS

The partial ozonolysis of some butadiene/styrene (Bt/St) copolymers has been performed in order to generate low molecular weight fragments by the cleavage of double bonds along the main chain. The mixtures obtained from ozonolysis were directly analyzed by fast atom bombardment mass spectrometry (FABMS). Compounds having aldehyde or carboxyl end groups have been detected, from which it has been possible to characterize the structure of the different copolymers investigated. The presence of compounds having aldehyde/aldehyde end groups and containing one ozonide unit in the molecule has been confirmed among the ozonolysis products of a Bt/St copolymer, by HPLC separation followed by FABMS analysis of the collected fractions. The ozonolysis kinetics has also been examined in order to value the extent of the ozonolysis reaction.