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Polymers

Chemistry In Pictures

Chemistry in Pictures: Well plated

by Alexandra Taylor
October 2, 2019
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Most Popular in Materials

A micrograph showing wells in a microplate containing crystallized polymers.
Credit: Arthi Ravi

Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) is a mass spectrometry technique used to determine the absolute mass of a compound. These wells, shown at 4× magnification, contain polymer samples that were dissolved in a solution of acetonitrile, water, and 2,5-dihydroxybenzoic acid. The solvent has evaporated, leaving behind crystals that researchers will then ionize with a laser. Arthi Ravi, a PhD candidate at the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Thiruvananthapuram, often uses MALDI in the lab. Ravi’s team aims to create synthetic versions of naturally occurring polymers with enhanced properties, such as greater chemical stability or strength.

Submitted by Arthi Ravi

Do science. Take pictures. Win money. Enter our photo contest here.

Related C&EN Content:

Pharma embraces imaging mass spec

Multiple imaging methods probe host-pathogen interactions

Spying on early ovarian cancer with mass spec imaging.

Chemical & Engineering News
ISSN 0009-2347
Copyright © 2025 American Chemical Society

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