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Ziegler-Natta Polymerization definitions

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  • Ziegler-Natta Polymerization
    A chain-growth process using organometallic catalysts to produce polymers with controlled stereochemistry and linearity.
  • Organometallic Catalyst
    A complex containing metal and organic groups, crucial for initiating and controlling polymer growth and stereochemistry.
  • Titanium Tetrachloride
    A titanium compound serving as the inactive catalyst precursor, activated by reaction with an aluminum compound.
  • Triethylaluminum
    An aluminum compound with three ethyl groups, acting as a cocatalyst to activate titanium-based catalysts.
  • Isotactic Polymer
    A polymer with all substituents on the same side of the chain, resulting from precise stereochemical control.
  • Syndiotactic Polymer
    A polymer with alternating substituent positions, reflecting the catalyst's ability to control stereochemistry.
  • Stereochemistry
    The spatial arrangement of atoms in polymers, determined by catalyst specificity during polymerization.
  • Active Site
    The region on the catalyst where monomer coordination and chain growth occur, dictating polymer structure.
  • Chain-Growth Polymerization
    A mechanism where monomers add sequentially to a growing chain, avoiding branching and radicals.
  • Coordination
    The interaction where a monomer's pi electrons share with the catalyst, initiating polymer chain formation.
  • Linear Polymer
    A polymer structure without branching, resulting from the absence of free radicals in the process.
  • Catalyst Activation
    The process where titanium and aluminum compounds interact, enabling the catalyst to initiate polymerization.
  • Polar Group
    A functional group that, if present in a monomer, deactivates the catalyst and prevents polymerization.
  • Stereoselectivity
    The catalyst-driven preference for forming polymers with a specific spatial arrangement of substituents.
  • Addition Polymer
    A polymer formed by successive addition of monomers without loss of atoms, characteristic of this process.