Polymers Flashcards
what’s a polymer? poly + mer
Chain of repeating units: each repeating unit is a monomer (natural/synthetic)
what is meant by degree of polymerisation?
number of monomer units in a polymer
whats a dimer?
2 monomer long polymer
whats an oligomer?
(in between region. Have long chain but not sure hm units): tetramer < oligomer < polymer
how is polymer written, with degree of polymerisation?
(monomer)n degree of polymerisation as subscript. Brackets important
name a natural polymer produced in body, therapeutic agent
heparin
whats the monomer of polymers DNA, RNA?
nucleic acid
proteins are polymer sof…
amino acids.
Don’t always know hm. Removing one doesn’t affect whole behaviour but 3D structure: have size and shape and colloidal structure
polymers: application in formulation
suspending agents
semi solids
mucoadhesion
MR
tablet manufacture
plasticisers, solvents
capsule shell
emulsifiers
polymers used in formulation as suspending agents… what do they enhance?
and give examples of some used
viscosity enhancers
- polysaccharides: acacia, tragacanth, alginates, starch
- celluloses
when may polymers be used in tablet manufacture?
o Disintegrants and binders (starch, cellulose and derivatives, PEG, PVP)
o Coating (cellulose, methacrylate derivatives)
other than in formualtion, what else are polymers used for?3
packaging (plastics, rubber, apper cellulose)
adhesives (transdermal patches)
tubing
and more!
polymers as therapeutic agents: name 3 applications
sodium polystyrene sulfonate (Resonium A)
poly(ethylene glycol) (Movicol)
artifical tears
what is sodium polystyrene sulfonte (resonium A), an ion exchange resin, used in the treatment of?
hyperkalaemia
sodium polystyrene sulfonte (resonium A) administration route?
oral/ rectal
what can the high molecular weight polymer known as polyethylene glycol/ movicol be used to treat?
constipation as hydrophilic polymer, attract water, soften stool 😊
what is meant by linear polymer in terms of morphology?
no branching, straight line of Cs with no modifications along the line
what is meant by homopolymer?
chain composed of a single monomer
give one example of a polymer that is both a linear polymer and a homopolymer?
polyethylene glycol
what is meant by copolymer?
chain composed of 2+ monomers
3 types of copolymers?
statistic: poly(A-co-B)
alternating: (A-alt-B)
block: poly(A)-block-poly(B)
what is meant statistic poly (A CO b)?
random arrangement, 2 monomers have the same reactivity
(co: copolymer)
what is meant by poly (a alt b)?
organised in particular alternating order
not random. ababababababab
what is meant by poly (A) block poly (B)?
polymer a attached to polymer b such as in the case of polymeric micelles
as want hydrophobic region attached to hydrophilic
clear regions/blocks