The use of NIR-FT-Raman spectroscopy for the characterization of polymer-supported reagents and catalysts

The NIR-FT-Raman spectroscopy represents a very useful tool for the qualitative, semiquantitative and quantitative characterization of functional polymers being used for the preparation of resin-supported reagents and catalysts. This characterization is clearly complementary to the generally obtained using FT-IR techniques. The simplicity of the Raman sampling techniques makes them very suitable for the use with highly crosslinked, insoluble polymers and overcomes, many often, the limitations raised by the presence of polar functional groups. Even some polar functional groups such as the chloromethyl or thiol groups are easily analyzed using the FT-Raman spectroscopy. The use of this technique allows not only the analysis of the functional moieties present but also the appropriate characterization of the polymeric matrix in polystyrene–divinilbenzene resins.