Beyond GPC Light Scattering for Absolute Polymer
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J U N E 2 0 1 6 BEYOND GPC: USING LIGHT SCATTERING FOR ABSOLUTE POLYMER CHARACTERIZATION BEYOND GPC: USING LIGHT TOC SCATTERING FOR ABSOLUTE Table of contents POLYMER CHARACTERIZation Adding MALS Detection to GPC Overcoming Fear, Uncertainty, and Doubt in GPC: The Need for an Absolute Measurement of Molar Mass 04 Mark W. Spears, Jr. Characterizing Polymer Branching Principles of Detection and Characterization of Branching in Synthetic and Natural Polymers by MALS 11 Stepan Podzimek Analyzing Polymerization Processes Light-Scattering Techniques for Analyzing Polymerization Processes An interview with Judit E. Puskas 18 SEC–MALS vs. AF4–MALS Characterization of Styrene-Butadiene Rubbers by SEC–MALS and AF4–MALS 20 Stepan Podzimek The Most Interesting Man in Light Scattering. photo: © PeteBleyer.com We Call Him Dad. Dr. Philip Wyatt is the father of Multi-Angle Light delight them with unexpectedly attentive cus- Scattering (MALS) detection. Together with his tomer service. Check. After all, we don’t just want sons, Geof and Cliff, he leads his company to to sell our instruments, we want to help you do produce the industry’s most advanced instruments great work with them. Because at Wyatt Technol- by upholding two core premises: First, build top ogy, our family extends beyond our last name to quality instruments to serve scientists. Check. Then everyone who uses our products. For essential macromolecular and nanoparticle characterization—The Solution is Light™ © 2015 Wyatt Technology. All rights reserved. All trademarks and registered trademarks are properties of their respective holders. OVERCOMING FEAR, UNCERTAINTY, AND DOubT IN GPC: THE NEED FOR AN AbSOluTE MEASUREMENT OF MOLAR MASS Mark W. Spears, Jr. While conventional calibration for gel permeation (GPC) or size-exclusion chromatography (SEC) is useful, there are inherent disadvantages in this type of analysis that introduce experimental error. This uncertainty may cast serious aspersions on the rigour and utility of the results. Multi-angle light scattering (MALS) detection is quite simple to add to an existing chromatography system and can help overcome the challenges faced with single detector chromatography and conventional calibration-based methods. An alternative separation technique called asymmetric flow field-flow fractionation (AF4) offers tunable, column-free fractionation. Gel permeation chromatography (GPC) species ideally has a narrow molecular and size-exclusion chromatography (SEC) weight distribution and the chosen are widely used techniques for the analysis standards span a broad range of of polymer molecular weight. In this molecular weights. Because a typical technique, a sample is passed through calibration curve has 10–12 points and can a separation column and fractionated be time-consuming to collect, standards into differing molecular weight species. are often injected as mixtures with 3–6 After exiting the column, the sample then species in a cocktail. In column calibration, travels through one or more detectors the apex of each eluting peak is selected where some characteristic is measured. from the concentration detector, and Traditionally, the downstream detector is the known molecular weight is plotted either a refractive index (RI) detector or an versus retention time. In universal ultra-violet (UV) absorption detector. calibration, a viscometer is added to the In order to be useful for calculating chromatography setup, and the intrinsic molecular weights, a column or column viscosity of the standard is now plotted set must be calibrated using well- along with known molecular weight to characterized standards where each generate a calibration curve that may be Mint Images - Paul Edmondson/Getty Images 4 | June 2016 | LCGC CHARACTERIZING ANALYZING ADDING MALS POLYMERIZATION DETECTION TO GPC POLYMER SEC–MALS VS. AF4–MALS BRANCHING PROCESSES more generally applicable. There are at 0. The absolute intensity of scattered light least two fundamental assumptions for extrapolated to θ = 0 is used to calculate GPC/SEC methods: 1) The polydispersity molecular weight, and the variance of this within each elution volume slice is intensity with angle is used to calculate negligible and 2) the elution time for the root mean square (rms) radius of a species is an accurate predictor of the sample. Other information can be molecular weight when compared to a gleaned from the data such as analysis of calibration curve. However, are these copolymers and polymer branching ratio. assumptions always true? If not, under The most recent major advance in what conditions do the assumptions fail? polymer characterization is the Described below are several points at applicability of ultrahigh-pressure liquid which column and universal calibration chromatography (UHPLC) to polymer are challenged, and they illustrate that separations. As pointed out by Bouvier a method of absolute measurement is and Koza (1), UHPLC offers greater required. A multi-angle light scattering resolution and throughput than traditional detector (MALS) can be plumbed HPLC methods. Because of the short run in-line with a high performance liquid times, the volume between peaks is chromatography (HPLC) system and greatly decreased, and the effects concentration detector (typically UV or RI) described below may be exaggerated, to provide this type of measurement. emphasizing the need for a MALS detector Light scattering is an absolute that makes an absolute measurement. technique, meaning that it does not Potential problems with a column or depend on any calibration standards or universal calibration include: calibration curves. The fundamental light • Poor fractionation, resulting from scattering equation is: inappropriate column conditions or interaction with the stationary phase, 2 will result in overlap and co-elution dn I (θ ) ∝ M ×c × ×P (θ ) of different molecular weight species dc () [1] that will be assigned incorrectly by calibration curves. MALS will report a weight-average molar mass and where the intensity of scattered light size for each time point as sample at an angle θ is directly proportional passes through the flow cell, so to the product of the molar mass M, high-quality data are dependent the concentration c, the square of the on good separation. However, specific refractive index increment dn/ an increase in polydispersity can dc (a constant for each sample), and an be obtained from MALS data as angular factor P(θ), which equals 1 at θ = evidence of co-elution. 5 | June 2016 | LCGC CHARACTERIZING ANALYZING ADDING MALS POLYMER POLYMERIZATION DETECTION TO GPC SEC–MALS VS. AF4–MALS BRANCHING PROCESSES (b) 1.0 LS 0.5 (a) LS Relative Scale 1.0x106 0.0 1.0 1.5 2.0 1.0x105 Time (min) 1.0x104 (c) LS 1000.00 35.0 Molar Mass (g/mol) 30.0 20.0 25.0 30.0 35.0 40.0 Time (min) 25.0 20.0 ) (mL/g) η 15.0 ( 10.0 1.0 1.2 1.4 1.6 Time (min) Figure 1: (a) Chromatograms of branched polymer 1 (red) and branched polymer 2 (blue) with overlaid molar mass. The elution time difference is a result of the conformational differences between the samples, which have the same molar mass. (b) Chro- matograms for a 4 μL injection (red) and 50 μL injection (green) of an identical 30 kDa polystyrene standard. The peak apex shifts depending on injection volume. (c) Chromatogram for a 30 kDa polystyrene standard with intrinsic viscosity overlaid. The intrinsic viscosity is relatively constant across the peak. • A well-characterized standard may • Changing the injected mass of the not be available that matches the sample can change the apex of sample of interest; this mismatch will eluting species, which will change the result in molecular weight error as reported molecular weight according a result of density or conformation to a calibration curve. In Figure 1(b), differences (2). For example, two an injection of 4 μL is compared to species of the same molar mass but an injection of 50 μL with a clear shift different sizes will elute at different towards longer time (Δt ~ 0.7 min.). times (Figure 1[a]). Calibration will MALS is insensitive to elution time assign different molecular weights, and thus reports the same molecular but MALS will correctly measure molar weight for both peaks. mass regardless of conformation or • Both column calibration and universal retention time. Since MALS measures calibration dictate that species eluting rms radius, it may also give insights at a later time and later volume into the cause of different elution must be of lower molecular weight times. because of the negative slope of 6 | June 2016 | LCGC CHARACTERIZING ANALYZING ADDING MALS POLYMER POLYMERIZATION DETECTION TO GPC SEC–MALS VS. AF4–MALS BRANCHING PROCESSES 1.0x105 LS 1.0x105 LS 1.0x104 1.0x104 Molar Mass (g/mol) Molar Mass (g/mol) 1000.0 1000.0 1.0 1.2 1.4 1.6 1.0 1.2 1.4 1.6 Time (min) Time (min) 4 µl Injection Column Calibration (Da) Universal Calibration (Da) MALS (Da) Half max, left side 3.83E+04 4.44E+04 3.17E+04 Apex 3.07E+04 3.02E+04 3.01E+04 Half max, right side 2.23E+04 1.97E+04 2.71E+04 Average 3.04E+04 3.14E+04 2.96E+04 Std. Dev. 7.97E+03 1.24E+04 2.34E+03 Polydispersity 1.105 1.143 1.003 50 µl Injection Column Calibration (Da) Universal Calibration (Da) MALS (Da) Half max, left side 3.43E+04 4.15E+04 3.46E+04 Apex 2.47E+04 2.14E+04 3.07E+04 Half max, right side 1.57E+04 9.72E+03 3.06E+04 Average 2.49E+04 2.42E+04 3.19E+04 Std. Dev. 9.27E+03 1.61E+04 2.28E+03 Polydispersity 1.152 1.598 1.002 Figure 2: (Top) Chromatograms of 4 μL and 50 μL injections of a 30 kDa polystyrene standard in THF with molar mass results overlaid from MALS (blue), column calibration (green), and universal calibration (black).