polymers

• addition polymerisation is a reaction in which many alkenes (monomers) join together to form a polymer
• addition polymerisation frequently requires high pressure, high temperature and an initiator
• ethene → polyethene
• propene → polypropene
• styrene → polystyrene
• polymers are often represented in a repeating unit
• a repeating unit is the monomer with a single bond and new bonds on the end to represent the other repeating units
• monomer = n alkene
• polymer = [ alkane ]n
• representation of ethene monomer

  
• representation of ethene polymer

  
• simple carbohydrates are monosaccharides
• general formula for sugar

  Cx(H2O)y
• examples of monosaccharides

  glucose

  fructose
• glucose is made up of a 6 membered ring, fructose is made up of a 5 membered ring
• monosaccharides are monomers, which are joined to create polymers or polysaccharides
• polymers created from monosaccharides are created through condensation polymerisation
• addition polymerisation

  the only product is the polymer and it is the adding of monomers together
• condensation polymerisation


  has both the polymer and water as a byproduct
• examples of polysaccharides

  starch, cellulose
• protein monomer

  amino acid
• variety of amino acids → protein polymers + water
• amino acids have two functional groups: amine group (NH2) and the carboxylic acid group (COOH)
• peptide polymerisation is the formation of peptide bonds between amino acids, forming a dipeptide then a polypeptide
• DNA

  deoxyribonucleic acid
• DNA is a polynucleotide
• nucleotides are based on:

  • deoxyribose sugar (pentose)
  • phosphoric acid
  • 4 types of organic bases which contain nitrogen