4.7.3 Synthetic and naturally occurring polymers (might come up) Flashcards
What is a polymer
How do molecules containing C=C bonds form polymers
A polymer is a long chain molecule which is made by lots of smaller molecules joining together
C=C bonds open up and many smaller molecules join together to form a chain, no other products are made
It is called an addition polymerisation reaction
What is a repeating unit of a polymer
It is a smaller structure, which upon numerous translations, yields the structure of the polymer
In addition polymers: to draw it, take a monomer, change C=C to C-C and show additional single bonds extending away from these carbons
What is a condensation polymer
How is it made
Name the 2 main groups and give industrially relevant examples
It is a polymer made in condensation polymerisation
In this reaction, many molecules join together; the polymer is formed but also a small molecule is released
Polyesters - terylene
Polyamides - nylon
What is an amide bond
Similar to the ester bond, with O replaced by N
It contains the C=O group
How do amino acids make proteins
What are polypeptides
By numerous condensation polymerisation reactions; proteins are polymers made of amino acids (monomers)
Polypeptides are also made by condensation polymerisation of amino acids, but are shorter than proteins
One could think about proteins as a product of many polypeptide chains bonded together
