Rationale Simple, affordable, and rapid methods for identifying the molecular weight (MW) distribution and macromolecular composition of polymeric materials are limited. Current tools require extensive solvent consumption, linear calibrations, and expensive consumables. A simple method for the determination of average MW (Mn, Mw) and chain end groups is demonstrated for synthetic homopolymer standards using direct injection electrospray ionization‐mass spectrometry (ESI‐MS) and an open‐sourced charge deconvolution (CDC) algorithm. Methods Five homopolymer standards in the 1–7 kDa MW range were analyzed using direct‐injection ESI‐MS on a quadrupole/time‐of‐flight mass spectrometer. The samples investigated, viz. two poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) and two poly(styrene sulfonic acid) (PSS) standards with narrow polydispersity and one poly(d,l‐alanine) (pAla) standard with undefined polydispersity, were chosen to illustrate challenges with ESI‐MS quantitation. Using the UniDec program, weight average MWs (Mw) obtained from the charge‐deconvoluted spectra were compared to the reported Mw data of the standards from size exclusion chromatography (SEC) measurements. Results The MW data derived for the PSS, PEO, and pAla standards agreed well with the corresponding reported Mw or MW range values. The method was able to provide MW, degree of polymerization (DP), and polydispersity index (PDI) information for polymers with narrow (PSS, PEO) as well as broader (pAla) molecular weight distribution; this feature provides an advantage over MW analysis via matrix‐assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) for ESI‐compatible materials. PSS standards differing in average MW by only a few repeat units could be confidently distinguished. Additionally, the oligomeric resolution observed for all samples studied unveiled chain‐end information not available through chromatographic analysis. Conclusions Overall, the free and easy‐to‐use UniDec CDC algorithm provides a simple, alternative method to measuring MW and DP for polymeric materials without high solvent consumption, expensive ionization sources, or calibration curves. Information about the masses of individual oligomers and the possibility to further characterize these oligomers using tandem mass spectrometry and/or ion mobility techniques constitutes additional benefits of this approach vis‐à‐vis traditional MW and PDI elucidation through SEC.

Ever since the inception of synthetic polymeric materials in the late 19th century, the number of studies on polymers as well as the complexity of their structures have only increased. The development and commercialization of new polymers with properties fine‐tuned for specific technological, environmental, consumer, or biomedical applications requires powerful analytical techniques that permit the in‐depth characterization of these materials. One such method with the ability to provide chemical composition and structure information with high sensitivity, selectivity, specificity, and speed is mass spectrometry (MS). This tutorial review presents and exemplifies the various MS techniques available for the elucidation of specific structural features in a synthetic polymer, including compositional complexity, primary structure, architecture, topology, and surface properties. Key to every MS analysis is sample conversion to gas‐phase ions. This review describes the fundamentals of the most suitable ionization methods for synthetic materials and provides relevant sample preparation protocols. Most importantly, structural characterizations via one‐step as well as hyphenated or multidimensional approaches are introduced and demonstrated with specific applications, including surface sensitive and imaging techniques. The aim of this tutorial review is to illustrate the capabilities of MS for the characterization of large, complex polymers and emphasize its potential as a powerful compositional and structural elucidation tool in polymer chemistry.