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Related Concept Videos

Polymers02:34

Polymers

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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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ATP and Macromolecule Synthesis01:28

ATP and Macromolecule Synthesis

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Biological macromolecules are organic compounds, predominantly composed of carbon atoms. The carbon atoms are covalently bonded with hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, and other minor elements. There are four major biological macromolecule classes: carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, and nucleic acids.
Most macromolecules are composed of single subunits, or building blocks, called monomers. The monomers combine with each other using covalent bonds to form larger molecules known as polymers.
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Anionic Chain-Growth Polymerization: Mechanism01:04

Anionic Chain-Growth Polymerization: Mechanism

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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...
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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.
8.0K
Step-Growth Polymerization: Overview01:03

Step-Growth Polymerization: Overview

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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: Architecture01:14

Polymer Classification: Architecture

2.8K
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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Methionine Functionalized Biocompatible Block Copolymers for Targeted Plasmid DNA Delivery
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Polymerization in living organisms.

Dan Wu1,2, Jiaqi Lei1, Zhankui Zhang2

  • 1Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Phosphorus Chemistry & Chemical Biology, Department of Chemistry, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, P. R. China. guocanyu@mail.tsinghua.edu.cn.

Chemical Society Reviews
|March 29, 2023
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Polymerization reactions inside living organisms are key for life. This review explores recent advances in triggering these reactions for diverse cell-based applications, inspired by natural biomacromolecule synthesis.

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Area of Science:

  • Biochemistry
  • Polymer Chemistry
  • Cell Biology

Background:

  • Living organisms synthesize vital biomacromolecules (RNA, DNA, proteins, polysaccharides) through polymerization.
  • Studying polymerization in vivo reveals the efficiency of biological chemistry and physiological environments.
  • Recent efforts focus on designing and developing in situ intra/extracellular polymerization reactions.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To summarize recent advances in polymerization reactions within living organisms.
  • To present these advances based on different polymerization methods.
  • To highlight the potential of triggering living polymerization for cell-based applications.

Main Methods:

  • Review of recent literature on polymerization in living organisms.
  • Categorization of polymerization methods.
  • Discussion of examples including designs, mechanisms, and applications.

Main Results:

  • Polymerization reactions in living organisms have diverse applications, including cell surface engineering, biocompatible polymerization, cell behavior regulation, living cell imaging, targeted bacteriostasis, and tumor therapy.
  • Inspiration from natural biomacromolecule synthesis demonstrates the feasibility of triggering living polymerization.
  • Specific examples of polymerization reactions, their mechanisms, and applications are discussed.

Conclusions:

  • Polymerization in living organisms is a versatile tool for various biological applications.
  • Nature's biomacromolecule synthesis provides a blueprint for designing novel living polymerization strategies.
  • Further research into challenges and prospects will advance this field.