Since its birth, LSP pioneered applications of high-field NMR spectroscopy to the microstructural elucidation of vinyl polymers. In particular, the statistical analysis of polypropylene ¹³C NMR stereosequence distribution as a powerful method of catalyst ‘fingerprinting’, originally established by Prof. Adolfo Zambelli (CNR Milan), was refined up to unprecedented levels of detail in collaboration with Prof. Annalaura Segre (CNR Rome). This research line was recently boosted by the implementation of high- temperature cryoprobe NMR, with its incredibly high Signal-to-Noise ratio leading to highlight the microstructure of polyolefin samples made with industrial Ziegler-Natta, metallocene and post-metallocene catalyst systems.

Integration with other microstructure-related techniques such as high- temperature Gel Permeation Chromatography (GPC) and analytical Crystallization Elution Fractionation (A-CEF) makes NMR analysis able to unravel specially complicated cases such as polyolefin block copolymers made  via  ‘chain  shuttling’  and,  in  general,  novel  classes  of  olefin copolymers.

 Molecular Kinetic Study of “Chain Shuttling” Olefin Copolymerization.

ACS Catalysis 2018, 8, 5051-5061