The characterization of branched polymers is available utilizing the techniques listed below. Other analyses may be appropriate, dependent on the polymer structure and area of interest.

¹³C Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) Spectroscopy – Provides a sensitive measurement of the magnetic environment for every carbon atom in the polymer. Symmetrical polymers with equivalent terminal groups typically have a balanced magnetic environment, providing a spectrum that is easily interpreted for even the higher molecular weight materials.

Mass Spectrometry (MS) – The electrospray ionization technique used in this analysis strips away the solvent, leaving gas-phase ions that are introduced into a conventional quadrapole mass spectrometer. Formation of the ions from solutions at room temperature results in low energy ionization that minimizes fragmentation. Spectra of the molecular ions, as they exist in solution, are produced and direct calculations of the molecular weight distributions of the sample are made.

Size Exclusion Chromatography (SEC) – Separates polymer molecules by hydrodynamic volume with smaller molecules retained longer on the column. Increases in polymer size correspond to increases in molecular weight; therefore, SEC is used to measure the distribution of molecular weights in a sample. Refractive index detectors determine relative molecular weight values based on a series of known standards. Light scattering detection is used to determine the absolute molar masses and sizes of polymers in solution as well as detect aggregations. Light scattering is used independently or in combination with size exclusion chromatography.

Gel Electrophoresis/High Performance Capillary Electrophoresis (HPCE) – Hyperbranched polymers resemble globular proteins in their size and morphology. As a result, polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE) is valuable as a tool to separate monomers and oligomers by drawing analytes through increasingly smaller gel pores. Capillary electrophoresis has a high number of theoretical plates, which are particularly useful in separating hyperbranched polymers based on the electrophoretic mobility of the molecule.