Skip to main content
Back

Chain-Growth Polymers definitions

Control buttons has been changed to "navigation" mode.
1/15
  • Chain Growth Polymerization
    A process where monomers join by breaking pi bonds and forming sigma bonds, resulting in polymers with repeating units.
  • Addition Polymerization
    A method where monomers add together without loss of atoms, forming long chains through new sigma bonds.
  • Radical Polymerization
    A mechanism using free radicals to initiate and propagate chain reactions, forming polymers from monomers.
  • Cationic Polymerization
    A process where a positively charged chain grows by nucleophilic attack, stabilized by resonance effects.
  • Anionic Polymerization
    A mechanism involving negatively charged chains attacking electrophilic monomers, often stabilized by electron-withdrawing groups.
  • Pi Bond
    A type of bond in monomers that breaks during polymerization, allowing new connections between units.
  • Sigma Bond
    A strong bond formed between monomer units during polymerization, creating the backbone of the polymer.
  • Repeating Unit
    A structural segment that appears multiple times within a polymer chain, defining its composition.
  • Free Radical
    A species with an unpaired electron, initiating chain reactions in certain polymerization mechanisms.
  • Carbocation
    A positively charged carbon intermediate, often stabilized by resonance or electron-donating groups during polymerization.
  • Carbanion
    A negatively charged carbon intermediate, stabilized by electron-withdrawing groups in anionic polymerization.
  • Resonance
    A stabilizing effect where electrons are delocalized over multiple atoms, supporting intermediates in polymerization.
  • Hyperconjugation
    A stabilizing interaction involving alkyl groups donating electron density to adjacent carbocations.
  • Electron-Withdrawing Group
    A substituent that pulls electron density away, stabilizing negative charges in polymerization intermediates.
  • Head-to-Tail Addition
    A pattern where monomers connect in a consistent orientation, enhancing stability of the growing polymer chain.