RESUMO
Liquid chromatography/coordination ion spray-mass spectrometry has been used for the identification of reaction products in a model rubber vulcanization process. After LC separation using reversed-phase conditions, AgBF(4) in acetonitrile was added, and strong signals were observed for silica-rubber coupling agents and products of the reaction between these and alkenes. The method performs best for substances containing sulfur chains with chain lengths between two and eight sulfur atoms, but sulfur-free compounds containing triethoxysilyl groups were detected as well. For the latter, the postcolumn addition of NaBF(4) proved to be a suitable alternative. Besides the coupling agents, various reaction products, including sulfur-chain bridged alkenes were identified.
