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Molecular Weight of Step-Growth Polymers01:08

Molecular Weight of Step-Growth Polymers

Step growth polymerization involves bi or multifunctional monomers. Bifunctional monomers react to form linear step growth polymers, whereas multifunctional monomers react to form non-linear or branched polymers.
As the step-growth polymerization involves step-wise condensation of monomers, the molecular weight also builds up eventually. Consequently, high molecular weight polymers are obtained at the late stages of the polymerization, where 99% of monomers have been consumed.
The extent of the...
Step-Growth Polymerization: Overview01:03

Step-Growth Polymerization: Overview

Step-growth or condensation polymerization is a stepwise reaction of bi or multifunctional monomers to form long-chain polymers. As all the monomers are reactive, most of the monomers are consumed at the early stages of the reaction to form small chains of reactive oligomers, which then combine to form long polymer chains in the late stages. Hence, the reaction has to proceed for a long time to achieve high molecular weight polymers.
Many natural and synthetic polymers are produced by...
Polymers: Molecular Weight Distribution01:10

Polymers: Molecular Weight Distribution

For any given polymer, the weight average molecular weight (Mw) is higher than, if not equal to, the number average molecular weight (Mn). The only situation in which the weight average molecular weight and the number average molecular weight are equal is when a polymer consists only of chains with equal molecular weight. However, this never happens in a synthetic polymer, since it is difficult to control the polymerization process up to a molecular level with accuracy to a hundred percent.
Radical Chain-Growth Polymerization: Chain Branching01:17

Radical Chain-Growth Polymerization: Chain Branching

The skeletal structure of polymers synthesized via radical polymerization is always branched. For example, the polymerization of ethylene by radical polymerization results in a low-density grade of polyethylene with a heavily branched skeletal structure. Here, the radical site abstracts hydrogen from the growing chain, and the radical site shifts from the end (a primary carbon center) to anywhere within the growing chain (a secondary carbon center). Consequently, the part of the chain from the...
Radical Chain-Growth Polymerization: Mechanism01:09

Radical Chain-Growth Polymerization: Mechanism

The radical chain-growth polymerization mechanism consists of three steps: initiation, propagation, and termination of polymerization. The polymerization initiates when a free radical generated from the radical initiator adds to the unsaturated bond in the monomer. The unpaired electron of the free radical and one π electron in the unsaturated bond creates a σ bond between the free radical and the monomer. As a result, the other π electron in the unsaturated bond converts this species into the...
Polymer Classification: Crystallinity01:21

Polymer Classification: Crystallinity

Unlike ionic or small covalent molecules, polymers do not form crystalline solids due to the diffusion limitations of their long-chain structures. However, polymers contain microscopic crystalline domains separated by amorphous domains.
Crystalline domains are the regions where polymer chains are aligned in an orderly manner and held together in proximity by intermolecular forces. For example, chains in the crystalline domains of polyethylene and nylon are bound together by van der Waals...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 18, 2026

Synthesis of Cyclic Polymers and Characterization of Their Diffusive Motion in the Melt State at the Single Molecule Level
06:55

Synthesis of Cyclic Polymers and Characterization of Their Diffusive Motion in the Melt State at the Single Molecule Level

Published on: September 26, 2016

Discontinuous molecular dynamics simulation study of polymer collapse.

Sheldon B Opps1, James M Polson, Nick Abou Risk

  • 1Department of Physics, University of Prince Edward Island, 550 University Avenue, Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island C1A 4P3, Canada. sopps@upei.ca

The Journal of Chemical Physics
|November 30, 2006
PubMed
Summary

This study used discontinuous molecular dynamics to investigate polymer coil-globule transitions driven by monomer hydrophobicity. Researchers mapped phase diagrams and determined theta-point values, offering insights into polymer behavior.

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Last Updated: Jul 18, 2026

Synthesis of Cyclic Polymers and Characterization of Their Diffusive Motion in the Melt State at the Single Molecule Level
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Area of Science:

  • Polymer Physics
  • Computational Chemistry
  • Statistical Mechanics

Background:

  • The coil-globule transition is a fundamental phenomenon in polymer science.
  • Understanding this transition is crucial for designing polymers with specific properties.
  • Previous studies have explored various factors influencing polymer conformation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the lambda-driven coil-globule transition of a polymer in explicit solvent.
  • To determine the theta-point values separating coil and globule states under varying conditions.
  • To construct and analyze coil-globule phase diagrams.

Main Methods:

  • Discontinuous molecular dynamics simulations in explicit solvent.
  • Calculation of average static structure factors.
  • Determination of scaling exponents and Flory-type theory analysis.

Main Results:

  • Two model versions with different interaction potentials were simulated.
  • Lambda-driven transitions and phase diagrams (lambda vs. particle density rho) were constructed.
  • The effect of attractive interaction range on the phase boundary was explored.

Conclusions:

  • The study successfully mapped coil-globule phase diagrams for different model potentials.
  • Theta-point values were identified, characterizing the transition boundaries.
  • Results provide a basis for understanding polymer collapse transitions through simulation and theory.