Analysis of fatty alcohol ethoxylates regarding chain length and endgroups by MALDI-TOF MS using collision-induced dissociation

MALDI-TOF MS is used to analyze the chain lengths and endgroups of fatty alcohol ethoxylates based on the fragmentation behavior in collision-induced dissociation. MALDI-CID-TOF2 of the ethoxylates results in complex fragmentation patterns that mirror the fragmentation of the ethylene oxide oligomer chain and the fatty alocohol endgroups. Characteristic fragment patterns are obtained that facilitate the interpretation of the fragmentation behavior of the fatty alcohol ethoxylates. Linear and branched endgroups can be differentiated and specific fragments are identified that are characteristic for the cleavage between the polymer chain and the endgroup. These "marker>" fragments are used to determine the oligomer chain length and the number of carbons per endgroup.