Includes bibliographical references and index.

Overview of MS and MALDI MS for polymer analysis / Liang Li -- Ionization processes and detection in MALDI-MS of polymers / Renato Zenobi -- Time-of-flight mass spectrometry for polymer characterization / Liang Li and Randy M. Whittal -- Polymer analysis with Fourier transform mass spectrometry / Sabine Borgmann and Charles L. Wilkins -- Tandem mass spectrometry and polymer ion dissociation / Michael J. Polce and Chrys Wesdemiotis -- Conventional MALDI sample preparation / Kevin G. Owens and Scott D. Hanton -- Solvent-free MALDI sample preparation / Sarah Trimpin -- MALDI mass spectrometry for the quantitative determination of polymer molecular mass distribution / Charles M. Guttman and William E. Wallace -- New approaches to data reduction in mass spectrometry / William E. Wallace, Anthony J. Kearsley, and Charles M. Guttman -- MALDI-MS/MS for polymer structure and composition analysis / Anthony T. Jackson -- LC-MALDI MS for polymer characterization / Steffen M. Weidner and Jana Falkenhagen -- MALDI MS applications for industrial polymers / Scott D. Hanton and Kevin G. Owens.

"Written by a team of leading mass spectrometry experts, this book enables readers to avoid the many pitfalls that often occur during the MALDI MS analysis of synthetic polymers by guiding them through each step of the procedure. It carefully explains the principles of polymer mass spectrometry and sets forth the best practices in using MALDI MS, emphasizing the specific skills and techniques required for polymer analysis and characterization." "The authors of each chapter describe the underlying principles of the technique or method, its attributes in polymer characterization, shortcomings, and efforts for further development and improvement. Examples of applications and experiments are provided alongside tips to help readers perform seamless analyses." "Because of the great diversity in polymer chemistry, there is no universal approach for MALDI MS analysis of polymers. With this book, readers can choose and apply the right analytical protocol to characterize and analyze any polymer sample."--BOOK JACKET.