Mass analysis

Modern daymass analyzer technologies have, together with soft ionization techniques, opened powerful new avenues by which insights can be gained into polymer systems using mass spectrometry (MS). Recent years have seen important advances in mass analyzer design, and a suite of effectivemass analysis options are currently available to the polymer chemist. In assessing the suitability of different mass analyzers toward the examination of a given polymer sample, a range of factors, ultimately driven by the scientific questions being pursued, must be taken into account. It is the aim of the current chapter to provide a reference point for making such assessments.