Simple method to analyze the molecular weight of polymers using cyclic voltammetry

•This is the first study using electrochemical measurements to determine polymer molecular weight.•The measurement time of the proposed method is only a few seconds.•No expensive equipment (NMR, GPC, MALS, etc.) or complicated pretreatment processes are required.•It is possible to measure the molecu...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Sensors and actuators. B, Chemical Chemical, 2021-03, Vol.330, p.129305, Article 129305
Main Authors: Kim, Hae-Young, Lee, Jinhee, Song, Sua, Kang, Inah, Kim, Sang Youl, Kim, Byung-Kwon
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Cyclic voltammetry
Dynamic viscosity
Molecular weight
Molecular weight detection
Poly(methyl methacrylate)
Polymers
Polymethyl methacrylate
Species diffusion
Stokes-Einstein equation
Voltammetry
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Summary:•This is the first study using electrochemical measurements to determine polymer molecular weight.•The measurement time of the proposed method is only a few seconds.•No expensive equipment (NMR, GPC, MALS, etc.) or complicated pretreatment processes are required.•It is possible to measure the molecular weight of many different types of polymers. In this study, we have developed a novel electrochemical method based on cyclic voltammetry to measure the molecular weight of polymers. As the molecular weight of a polymer increases, the viscosity of the corresponding polymer solution also increases. This hinders the diffusion of redox species in the solution, resulting in a proportional decrease in the steady-state current. These changes allow us to measure the molecular weight of a polymer in solution more rapidly and easily than when using conventional methods. Herein, we have verified the proposed method by applying it to measure the molecular weight of poly(methyl methacrylate) in solutions.
ISSN:0925-4005
1873-3077
DOI:10.1016/j.snb.2020.129305