Instrument has helped researchers to understand the complicated kinetic phenomena involved and guided the synthesis of new polymers
French scientists specialising in organic radical chemistry are using Brookhaven Instruments's BI-MwA molecular weight analyser to monitor real-time polymerisation reactions.
Denis Bertin of the department of chemistry, biology and free radicals at the University of Aix-Marseilles I and III, explained: "My laboratory is developing new complex architecture polymers including block, graft, star, and gradient.
Using the BI-MwA to obtain real time information on the size and shape of the polymers allows us to optimise the process as well as monitor online radical polymerisation." The instrument has helped the researchers at the university understand the complicated kinetic phenomena involved and guided the synthesis of new polymers.
An ever-increasing number of monomers can undergo living free radical polymerisation and it is hoped that these will lead to the discovery of new materials for a variety of specific applications, such as the manufacture of compact discs, televisions, and drug delivery systems.
"We compared the BI-MwA to other instruments available and Brookhaven came top in our evaluations.
We have turned to Brookhaven for all of our supplies and apparatus," concluded Dr Bertin.
