Online size exclusion chromatography-NMR for the determination of molar mass distributions of copolymers.

A general approach of size exclusion chromatography (SEC)-NMR is introduced for the determination of the classical molar mass parameters M(W), M(N), and M(P). It can be used for the determination of molar mass distributions of homopolymers and copolymers. The main advantage of SEC-NMR of copolymers is the possibility of detecting each monomer unit simultaneously with NMR as a quantitative concentration detector. Therefore, it is possible to provide the chemical compositions of copolymers at any elution volume without calibrations. In this respect, a new method will be presented for getting correct signal quantities of onflow data with sufficient NMR sensitivities. As the consequence, the chemical composition of copolymers can be correctly quantified under typical chromatographic conditions with respect to sample concentration and flow rate. Finally, the molar mass calibrations of the copolymers can be easily adjusted according to their chemical compositions. The methods were applied to polystyrene-b-poly(methyl methacrylate) block copolymers of different molar masses. The results of the molar mass distributions and the chemical composition distributions obtained by SEC-NMR are in very good agreement with the complex SEC multidetector analysis.