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Structural unit
In polymer chemistry, a structural unit is a building block of a polymer chain. It is the result of a monomer which has been polymerized into a long chain.
There may be more than one structural unit in the repeat unit. When different monomers are polymerized, a copolymer is formed. It is a routine way of developing new properties for new materials.
Consider the example of polyethylene terephthalate (PET or "polyester"). The monomers which could be used to create this polymer are ethylene glycol and terephthalic acid:
HO-CH2-CH2-OH and HOOC-C6H4-COOH
In the polymer, there are two structural units, which are -O-CH2-CH2-O- and -CO-C6H4-CO-
The repeat unit is
-CH2-CH2-O-CO-C6H4-CO-O-
The functionality of a monomeric structural unit is defined as the number of covalent bonds which it forms with other reactants. A structural unit in a linear polymer chain segment forms two bonds and is therefore bifunctional, as for the PET structural units above.
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Structural unit
In polymer chemistry, a structural unit is a building block of a polymer chain. It is the result of a monomer which has been polymerized into a long chain.
There may be more than one structural unit in the repeat unit. When different monomers are polymerized, a copolymer is formed. It is a routine way of developing new properties for new materials.
Consider the example of polyethylene terephthalate (PET or "polyester"). The monomers which could be used to create this polymer are ethylene glycol and terephthalic acid:
HO-CH2-CH2-OH and HOOC-C6H4-COOH
In the polymer, there are two structural units, which are -O-CH2-CH2-O- and -CO-C6H4-CO-
The repeat unit is
-CH2-CH2-O-CO-C6H4-CO-O-
The functionality of a monomeric structural unit is defined as the number of covalent bonds which it forms with other reactants. A structural unit in a linear polymer chain segment forms two bonds and is therefore bifunctional, as for the PET structural units above.