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Related Concept Videos

Types of Step-Growth Polymers: Polyesters01:20

Types of Step-Growth Polymers: Polyesters

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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.
Polyesters are commonly prepared from terephthalic acid and ethylene glycol; the crude product is known as poly(ethylene terephthalate) or PET. However, polyesters are synthesized industrially by transesterification of dimethyl terephthalate with ethylene glycol at 150 °C. The two reactants and the polymer...
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Polymer Classification: Architecture01:14

Polymer Classification: Architecture

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Polymers are classified as linear or branched on the basis of their chain architecture. The polymer chains in linear polymers have a long chain-like structure with minimal to no branching at all. Even if a polymer features large substituent groups on the monomer, which appear as branches to the skeleton, it is not considered a branched polymer. A branched polymer contains secondary polymer chains that arise from the main polymer chain. The branching occurs when the polymer growth shifts from...
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Radical Chain-Growth Polymerization: Chain Branching01:17

Radical Chain-Growth Polymerization: Chain Branching

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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...
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Step-Growth Polymerization: Overview01:03

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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...
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Polymer Classification: Stereospecificity01:26

Polymer Classification: Stereospecificity

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Polymerization generates chiral centers along the entire backbone of a polymer chain. Accordingly, the stereochemistry of the substituent group has a significant effect on polymer properties. Polymers formed from monosubstituted alkene monomers feature chiral carbons at every alternate position in the polymer backbone. Relative to the predominant orientation of substituents at the adjacent chiral carbons, the polymer can exist in three different configurations: isotactic, syndiotactic, and...
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Bioplastics01:27

Bioplastics

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Bioplastics derived from microbial processes present a sustainable alternative to conventional petroleum-based plastics. Among these, polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs), particularly polyhydroxybutyrates (PHBs), have emerged as prominent candidates due to their biodegradability and biocompatibility. These polymers are synthesized by a variety of bacteria, such as Cupriavidus necator and Pseudomonas putida, which naturally accumulate PHAs as intracellular carbon and energy reserves, especially under...
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Branched polyesters: Preparative strategies and applications.

Richard d'Arcy1, Jason Burke2, Nicola Tirelli3

  • 1NorthWest Centre of Advanced Drug Delivery (NoWCADD), Manchester Pharmacy School, University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester, M13 9PT, United Kingdom.

Advanced Drug Delivery Reviews
|May 19, 2016
PubMed
Summary

Precision chemical tools have advanced biodegradable polyesters, enabling complex architectures and tailored performance through controlled branching. This review covers methods for creating branched polyesters like hyperbranched, dendritic, and comb structures.

Keywords:
Dendritic polymersGraftHyperbranchedLactidesLactonesPolycondensationRing-opening polymerizationStar polymers

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Area of Science:

  • Polymer Chemistry
  • Materials Science
  • Biotechnology

Background:

  • Recent advances in precision chemical tools, including controlled/living polymerizations and click reactions, have significantly increased the complexity of biodegradable polyesters.
  • Controlled macromolecular branching plays a crucial role in tailoring the physical and biological properties of these polyesters.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To provide an updated overview of preparative techniques for synthesizing branched biodegradable polyesters.
  • To highlight methods for creating hyperbranched, dendritic, comb, and grafted polyester architectures.

Main Methods:

  • Review of polycondensation mechanisms for polyester synthesis.
  • Review of ring-opening polymerization mechanisms for polyester synthesis.
  • Focus on techniques enabling controlled macromolecular branching.

Main Results:

  • Availability of advanced polymerization techniques allows for precise control over macromolecular architecture and chemical functionality.
  • Branched polyester architectures (hyperbranched, dendritic, comb, grafted) can be synthesized using established polymerization methods.
  • Tailoring branching allows for fine-tuning of physical and biological performance characteristics.

Conclusions:

  • The evolution of precision chemical tools has revolutionized the design and synthesis of complex biodegradable polyesters.
  • Controlled branching is a key strategy for developing polyesters with specific, desirable performance attributes.
  • This review consolidates knowledge on synthetic routes to various branched polyester architectures.