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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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Free-Radical Chain Reaction and Polymerization of Alkenes02:35

Free-Radical Chain Reaction and Polymerization of Alkenes

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The conversion of alkenes to macromolecules called polymers is a reaction of high commercial importance. The structure of the polymer is defined by a repeating unit, while the terminal groups are considered insignificant. The average degree of polymerization represents the number of repeating units in the polymer molecule and is denoted by the subscript n.
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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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Olefin Metathesis Polymerization: Overview01:13

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Recently, the development of olefin metathesis polymerization advanced the field of polymer synthesis. Simply put, the reorganization of substituents on their double bonds between two olefins in the presence of a catalyst is known as the olefin metathesis reaction. The use of metathesis reaction for polymer synthesis is called olefin metathesis polymerization.
Ruthenium-based Grubbs catalyst is the most commonly used catalyst for olefin metathesis polymerization. Grubbs catalyst consists of a...
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Olefin Metathesis Polymerization: Acyclic Diene Metathesis (ADMET)00:53

Olefin Metathesis Polymerization: Acyclic Diene Metathesis (ADMET)

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Acyclic diene metathesis polymerization or ADMET polymerization involves cross-metathesis of terminal dienes, such as 1,8-nonadiene, to give linear unsaturated polymer and ethylene. As ADMET is a reversible process, the formed ethylene gas must be removed from the reaction mixture to complete the polymerization process.
Similar to cross-metathesis, ADMET also involves the formation of metallacyclobutane intermediate by [2+2] cycloaddition of one of the double bonds of a terminal diene with...
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Polymers02:34

Polymers

40.0K
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...
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Updated: Dec 16, 2025

Designed for Molecular Recycling: A Lignin-Derived Semi-aromatic Biobased Polymer
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Designed for Molecular Recycling: A Lignin-Derived Semi-aromatic Biobased Polymer

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Polyethylene-like materials from plant oils.

Stefan Mecking1

  • 1Chair of Chemical Materials Science, Department of Chemistry, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany.

Philosophical Transactions. Series A, Mathematical, Physical, and Engineering Sciences
|July 7, 2020
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Researchers are developing sustainable polymers from plant-based oils and microalgae lipids. These novel materials mimic polyethylene

Keywords:
catalysisdegradabilitymicroalgaenon-persistent plasticspolymer materialsrenewable feedstocks

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Area of Science:

  • Polymer Chemistry
  • Sustainable Materials Science
  • Circular Economy

Background:

  • Polyethylene (PE) is a key synthetic polymer with desirable properties derived from hydrocarbon chain interactions.
  • There is a growing need for sustainable alternatives to fossil fuel-based materials with enhanced degradability.
  • Renewable feedstocks offer a promising route to novel polymer development.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To explore the synthesis and properties of long-chain polycondensates derived from renewable lipids.
  • To investigate the potential for creating PE-like materials with tunable degradability.
  • To contribute to the development of a circular economy through sustainable polymer innovation.

Main Methods:

  • Catalytic conversion of unsaturated fatty acids from seed or microalgae oils.
  • Synthesis of long-chain difunctional monomers (18-26 carbons) and ultralong-chain PE telechelics (48 carbons).
  • Polymerization to polyesters, polycarbonates, and other polycondensates.

Main Results:

  • Successfully produced long-chain monomers and telechelics from renewable lipids.
  • Synthesized (ultra)long-chain polycondensates exhibiting PE-like solid-state structures and properties.
  • Observed that in-chain functional groups and polymer crystallinity influence degradation rates.

Conclusions:

  • Renewable lipids can be converted into monomers for synthesizing PE-like polymers.
  • These novel polymers show potential for tunable degradability, unlike conventional polyethylene.
  • The findings support the development of sustainable, non-persistent materials for a circular economy.