Polymer chemistry or macromolecular chemistry is a multidisciplinary science that deals with the chemical synthesis and chemical properties of polymers or macromolecules. Traditionally macromolecules refer to the individual molecular chains and are the domain of chemistry. Polymers describe the bulk properties of polymer materials and belong to the field of polymer physics as a subfield of physics. Plastics such as polyethylene in this context are just a subgroup of synthetic polymers with commercial value. Biopolymers such as proteins are a subgroup of polymers found in nature. // What is science? There are different theories of what science is. ... In chemistry, the phrase chemical synthesis appears to have one of two meanings. ... The phrase Chemical property is context driven, but generally refers to the materials behaviour at standard conditions ( room temperature, 1 atmosphere pressure, oxygen bearing atmosphere). ... A polymer is a generic term used to describe a substantially long molecule. ... A macromolecule is a molecule of high relative molecular mass, the structure of which essentially comprises the multiple repetition of units derived, actually or conceptually, from molecules of low relative molecular mass. ... Chemistry (in Greek: χημεία) is the science of matter that deals with the composition, structure, and properties of substances and with the transformations that they undergo. ... A polymer is a generic term used to describe a substantially long molecule. ... Polymer physics is the physics and chemistry of polymer engineering, as well as the reactions involving degradation and polymerisation of polymers and monomers respectively. ... The willingness to question previously held truths and search for new answers resulted in a period of major scientific advancements, now known as the Scientific Revolution. ... The term plastics covers a range of synthetic or semi-synthetic organic condensation or polymerization products that can be molded or extruded into objects or films or fibers. ... Polyethylene or polyethene is a commodity thermoplastic heavily used in consumer products (over 60M tons are produced worldwide every year). ... A biopolymer is a polymer found in nature. ... A representation of the 3D structure of myoglobin, showing coloured alpha helices. ...

Polymers form by polymerization of monomers. A polymer is chemically described by its degree of polymerisation, molar mass distribution, tacticity, copolymer distribution, the degree of polymer branching, by its end-groups, by its crosslinks , crystallinity and thermal properties such as the glass transition temperature. Polymers in solution have special characteristics with respect to solubility, viscosity and gelation. Polymerization is a process of reacting monomer molecules together in a chemical reaction to form linear chains or a three-dimensional network of polymer chains [1]. There are many forms of polymerization and different systems exist to categorize them. ... In chemistry, a monomer (from Greek mono one and meros part) is a small molecule that may become chemically bonded to other monomers to form a polymer. ... The Molar mass distribution in a polymer describes the relationship between a polymer fraction and the molar mass of that polymer fraction. ... Tacticity is the relative stereochemistry of adjacent chiral centers within a macromolecule. ... A heteropolymer, also called a copolymer, is a polymer formed when two different types of monomer are linked in the same polymer chain. ... An end-group in polymer chemistry is a constitutional unit that is an extremity of a macromolecule or oligomer molecule. ... Categories: Chemistry stubs | Chemistry ... Crystallinity is the degree of structural order in a solid, often represented by a fraction or percentage. ... A simplistic view of a materials glass transition temperature (Tg) is the temperature below which molecules have very little mobility. ... A solvent is a liquid that dissolves a solid, liquid, or gaseous solute, resulting in a solution. ... The Pitch Drop Experiment at the University of Queensland. ... A gel is an apparently solid, jellylike material formed from a colloidal solution. ...

History

In 1891 Hilaire de Chardonnet started the first artificial fiber plant based on cellulose as a substitute for silk. In 1907 Leo Baekeland invented the first synthetic polymer called bakelite. In 1922 Hermann Staudinger was the first to propose that polymers consisted of long chains of atoms held together by covalent bonds. He also proposed to name these compounds macromolecules. Before that, scientists believed that polymers were clusters of small molecules (called colloids) held together by a then an unknown force. Staudinger received the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1953. Wallace Carothers invented the first synthetic rubber called neoprene in 1931 and went on to invent nylon in 1935. Paul Flory was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1974 for his work on polymer random coil configurations in solutions in the 1950s. Cellulose (C6H10O5)n is a long-chain polymer polysaccharide carbohydrate, of beta-glucose. ... Silk weaver Silk is a natural protein fiber that can be woven into textiles. ... Leo Hendrik Baekeland (November 14, 1863 - February 23, 1944) was a Belgian-born American chemist who invented Velox photographic paper (1893) and Bakelite (1907), an inexpensive, nonflammable, versatile, and popular plastic. ... Bakelite is a brand named material based on the thermosetting phenol formaldehyde resin polyoxybenzylmethylenglycolanhydride, developed in 1907-1909 by Dr. Leo Baekeland. ... Hermann Staudinger (March 23, 1881 in Worms- Sept. ... Covalently bonded hydrogen and carbon in a molecule of methane. ... List of Nobel Prize laureates in Chemistry from 1901 to the present day. ... Dr. Wallace Hume Carothers (April 27, 1896 - April 29, 1937) was the leader of organic chemistry at DuPont. ... Neoprene is the trade name for a family of synthetic rubbers based on polychloroprene. ... This article covers the material nylon. ... Paul John Flory (1910-1985) was an American chemist who was known for his amazing amount of work in the field of polymers, or macromolecules. ... List of Nobel Prize laureates in Chemistry from 1901 to the present day. ... 1974 is a common year starting on Tuesday (click on link for calendar). ... A random coil is a polymer conformation where the monomers are arranged at random. ...