A comparison of the static SIMS and G‐SIMS spectra of biodegradable homo‐polyesters

Abstract

Static SIMS (SSIMS) is a surface analytical technique capable of providing molecular chemical information from solids.A major barrier to the wider take-up of the technique is the complexity associated with the interpretation of SSIMS spectra. Quality of the interpretation depends on the expertise of analysts and making references to the limited mass spectral libraries. For many materials, there are no SSIMS library spectra. A new library-independent method, G-SIMS, is capable of facilitating the interpretation of SSIMS data. G-SIMS spectra contain parent fragments, which are formed without substantial degradation or rearrangements, and highlight molecular fragments, which are directly related to the surface. In our study, G-SIMS has been tested on medically relevant biodegradable polyester series, including poly (glycolic acid) (PGA), poly-l-(lactic acid) (PLA), poly-β-(hydroxybutyrate) (PHB) and poly-ε-(caprolactone) (PCL). The polyester series chosen here have closely related structures, which allow us to explore the capabilities of G-SIMS. The G-SIMS spectra have facilitated the identification of different polyesters by exhibiting mainly characteristic ions, representative of the polymers' molecular structures. The results also indicated that for the chosen polyester series, the larger the repeating monomer structures, the smaller the maximum number of repeat units were seen in the G-SIMS spectra. The G-SIMS spectra for the homologous polyester series have provided an insight into the fragmentation mechanisms as a function of repeating monomer molecular weights and structures.

Surface-modified 3D starch-based scaffold for improved endothelialization for bone tissue engineering

“…3a) of the untreated material, shows predominant presence of the synthetic component (PCL) on the surface. Prominent peaks characteristic for the low mass hydrocarbon fragments derived from the linear back bone of PCL 28 were detected at m/z 41, 55, 69, 97 as well as the monomer (M + H) + at m/z 115. The changes induced by the applied treatment were confirmed by SIMS and less intensive peaks were detected in the positive mass spectrum of modified samples (Fig.…”

Imaging G‐SIMS: a novel bismuth‐manganese source emitter

“…However, the complexity of SSIMS spectra and the difficulties in interpretation and identification have been significant barriers to the wider uptake of the technique. G‐SIMS has been demonstrated to be a powerful method for simplifying SSIMS spectra and leads to a direct identification for polymers and small molecules,5, 6 biodegradable polymers7, 8 and adhesives 9. Details of the G‐SIMS method are given in Gilmore and Seah 5, 6.…”

Atomic spectrometry update. Industrial analysis: metals, chemicals and advanced materials

“…Ogaki and co-workers have discussed the relative drawbacks of the surface analysis technique of static SIMS (SSIMS). 274 The drawbacks include the difficulty of spectral interpretation that relies largely on the individual analyst's expertise and by reference to the very limited spectral libraries that exist. The authors discuss the technique of G-SIMS, a library-independent method that facilitates the interpretation of spectra since it produces parent fragments that are formed without degradation or rearrangement.…”