Polyethers - PEG, PPG, PTMEG

    Some of the most extensively studied polymers have been polyethers such as poly(ethylene glycol) PEG, poly(propylene glycol) PPG, and poly(tetramethylene glycol) PTMEG, because of their relatively simple backbones and wide range of commercial applications.

These polyethers are often used as surfactants and, more recently, as polymer electrolytes in fuel cells. In these cases, their ability to function properly strongly depends on how well they bind to alkali ions. Ion mobility measurements and molecular modeling calculations were used to investigate the gas-phase conformations of a series of PEG, PPG, and PTMEG oligomers cationized by a variety of alkali metals (Li+-Cs+) to determine how changes in the composition and flexibility of the polyether affects the polymer - metal interaction.


More detailed information can be found in:

"Gas-Phase Conformations of Synthetic Polymers: Poly(ethylene glycol), Poly(propylene glycol), and Poly(tetramethylene glycol)" Jennifer Gidden, Thomas Wyttenbach, Anthony T. Jackson, James H. Scrivens, and Michael T. Bowers J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2000, 122, 4692-4699

"Conformations of Alkali Ion Cationized Polyethers in the Gas Phase: Polyethylene Glycol and Bis[(benzo-15-crown-5)-15-ylmethyl] Pimelate" Thomas Wyttenbach, Gert von Helden, and Michael T. Bowers Int. J. Mass Spectrom. Ion Proc. 1997, 165/166, 377-390

"Inclusion of a MALDI Ion Source in the Ion Chromatography Technique: Conformational Information on Polymer and Biomolecular Ions" Gert von Helden, Thomas Wyttenbach, and Michael T. Bowers Int. J. Mass Spectrom. Ion Proc. 1995, 146/147, 349-364