Polymer backbone

A polymer backbone is the continuous chain of atoms forming a polymer’s main structure. Branches and pendant groups attach to it without belonging to that chain.

Polymer: A polymer is a large molecule built from repeated units linked into chains or networks. The backbone is the structural chain within a polymer.
Step-growth polymerization: Step-growth polymerization forms polymers through reactions between functional groups on molecules of any size. It commonly builds backbones by joining bifunctional monomers end to end.
Polyethylene: Polyethylene is a polymer whose backbone consists of repeating carbon atoms, with hydrogen atoms attached. Its simple carbon backbone illustrates how chain structure shapes a widely used plastic.
Linear polymer: A linear polymer has chains without branch points, though the chains may adopt curved conformations. It provides the unbranched architecture against which branched backbones are compared.
Monomer: A monomer is a small molecule that can join other molecules to form a polymer. Monomers supply the atoms and bonds that build a polymer backbone.
Chain-growth polymerization: Chain-growth polymerization adds monomers successively to an active site on a growing polymer chain. Its propagation step extends the backbone one monomer at a time.
Polypropylene: Polypropylene is a polymer with a carbon backbone bearing methyl groups on alternating backbone atoms. Its pendant methyl groups show how substituents alter a carbon-chain polymer.
Branched polymer: A branched polymer has one or more side chains connected to its main chain. Its additional chains make the distinction between backbone and branches explicit.
Repeat unit: A repeat unit is the smallest recurring sequence of atoms in a polymer structure. Repeated units describe the backbone’s recurring chemical pattern.
Ring-opening polymerization: Ring-opening polymerization converts cyclic monomers into polymers by opening their rings and linking the resulting units. Opening a ring can place its atoms directly into the growing backbone.

Linked from 1 page