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Related Concept Videos

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...
Types of Step-Growth Polymers: Polyesters01:20

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The introduction of polyesters has brought major development to the textile industry. The wrinkle-free behavior of polyester blends has eliminated the need for starching and ironing clothes.
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Polymers

The word polymer is derived from the Greek words “poly” which means “many” and “mer” which means “parts”. Polymers are long chains of molecules composed of repeating units of smaller molecules, known as monomers. They either occur naturally, such as DNA and proteins, or can be constructed synthetically, like plastics. They have varied structural characteristics, such as linear chains, branched chains, or complex networks, that contribute to the properties that they exhibit. Additionally,...
Anionic Chain-Growth Polymerization: Overview01:20

Anionic Chain-Growth Polymerization: Overview

The polymerization process that involves carbanion as an intermediate is called anionic polymerization. It is also a type of addition or chain-growth polymerization. Anionic polymerization gets initiated by a strong nucleophile such as an organolithium or a Grignard reagent. The most commonly used initiator for anionic polymerization is butyl lithium. Monomers involved in anionic polymerization must possess a vinyl group bonded to one or two electron-withdrawing groups. For instance,...
Anionic Chain-Growth Polymerization: Mechanism01:04

Anionic Chain-Growth Polymerization: Mechanism

The mechanism for anionic chain-growth polymerization involves initiation, propagation, and termination steps. In the initiation step, a nucleophilic anion, such as butyl lithium, initiates the polymerization process by attacking the π bond of the vinylic monomer. As a result, a carbanion, stabilized by the electron‐withdrawing group, is generated. The resulting carbanion acts as a Michael donor in the propagation step and attacks the second vinylic monomer, which acts as a Michael acceptor.
Cationic Chain-Growth Polymerization: Mechanism00:57

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The cationic polymerization mechanism consists of three steps: initiation, propagation, and termination. In the initiation step of the polymerization process, the π bond of a monomer gets protonated by the Lewis acid catalyst, which is formed from boron trifluoride and water. The protonation of the π bond generates a carbocation stabilized by the electron‐donating group. In the propagation step, the π bond of the second monomer acts as a nucleophile and attacks the generated carbocation,...

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Microwave-assisted Functionalization of Poly(ethylene glycol) and On-resin Peptides for Use in Chain Polymerizations and Hydrogel Formation
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Microwave-assisted Functionalization of Poly(ethylene glycol) and On-resin Peptides for Use in Chain Polymerizations and Hydrogel Formation

Published on: October 29, 2013

Gels based on cyclic polymers.

Ke Zhang1, Melissa A Lackey, Jun Cui

  • 1Department of Polymer Science and Engineering, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Massachusetts 01003, United States.

Journal of the American Chemical Society
|March 1, 2011
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Novel cyclic polymer networks synthesized via ring-expansion metathesis polymerization (REMP) and thiol-ene chemistry exhibit enhanced properties. These cyclic poly(5-hydroxy-1-cyclooctene) (PACOE) gels show superior swelling and mechanical strength compared to linear polymer gels.

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Self-assembling Morphologies Obtained from Helical Polycarbodiimide Copolymers and Their Triazole Derivatives

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Area of Science:

  • Polymer Chemistry
  • Materials Science
  • Organic Chemistry

Background:

  • Traditional polymer networks are often synthesized from linear polymer chains.
  • Cyclic polymers offer unique topological structures not found in linear analogues.
  • Understanding the structure-property relationships of cyclic polymer networks is crucial for advanced material design.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To synthesize and characterize novel network materials from cyclic poly(5-hydroxy-1-cyclooctene) (PACOE).
  • To investigate the impact of using cyclic PACOE as a precursor on network properties compared to linear PACOE.
  • To explore the influence of initial polymer concentration on the properties of these novel cyclic polymer gels.

Main Methods:

  • Synthesis of cyclic PACOE via ring-expansion metathesis polymerization (REMP).
  • Cross-linking of PACOE using thiol-ene chemistry to form network gels.
  • Characterization of gel properties including gel fraction (GF), swelling ratio (Q), and modulus (G) at varying initial polymer concentrations (C(0)).

Main Results:

  • Cyclic PACOE gels exhibited unique structural units with topological cross-linkages.
  • Unlike linear PACOE gels, cyclic PACOE gels showed simultaneous increases in GF, Q, and G with increasing C(0).
  • Cyclic PACOE gels demonstrated higher swelling ability and greater maximum strain at break than linear PACOE gels, with differences amplifying at higher C(0).

Conclusions:

  • Novel network materials can be effectively formed from cyclic PACOE using thiol-ene chemistry.
  • The use of cyclic polymer precursors leads to distinct network properties compared to linear precursors.
  • These cyclic polymer gels present promising candidates for applications requiring enhanced swelling and mechanical robustness.