Applications of Mass Spectrometry in Polymer Analysis: Use of GC-GC-High Resolution MS to Identify Photo- and Oxidative Degradation Products of BPA-Polycarbonate

A full understanding of any chemical process usually requires the complete elucidation of all of the reactants involved and all of the products produced. Even products produced in very minor quantities can be important because they may provide mechanistic clues. The photooxidative degradation of polymers is an economically important process. If we are designing windows of a clear plastic then stability to light is all important in order to extend useful life. If we are designing certain kinds of single-use containers then we may wish them to degrade rapidly in order to minimize the potential for environmental contamination. Identifying the products of the photooxidation process is, however, an unusual challenge for the analytical chemist. Especially in the early stages of the process, the products are likely to remain bound to the polymer backbone whose molecular weight may typically lie in the tens of thousands.