Vol. 26 No. 5
September-October 2004

Definitions of Terms Relating to Reactions of Polymers and to Functional Polymeric Materials (IUPAC Recommendations 2003)

by K. Horie, et. al.

Pure and Applied Chemistry
Vol. 76, No. 4, pp. 889-906 (2004)

Chemical reactions of polymers have received much attention during the last two decades. Many fundamentally and industrially important reactive polymers and functional polymers are prepared by the reactions of linear or cross-linked polymers and by the introduction of reactive, catalytically active, or other groups onto polymer chains. Characteristics of polymer reactions may be appreciably different from both reactions of low-molar-mass compounds and polymerization reactions.

Photosensitive polymers are defined as polymers that respond to ultraviolet or visible light by exhibiting a change in their physical properties or chemical constitution.

Basic definitions of polymerization reactions have been included in the original and revised documents on basic terms in polymer science published by the IUPAC Commission on Macromolecular Nomenclature. Furthermore, the basic classification and definitions of polymerization reactions and some polymer reactions such as degradation, aging, and related chemical transformations of polymers have been defined. However, in spite of the growing importance of the field, a clear and uniform terminology covering the field of reactions and the functionalization of polymers has not been presented until now. For example, combinatorial chemistry using reactive polymer beads has become a new field in recent years. The development of a uniform terminology for such multidisciplinary areas can greatly aid communication and avoid confusion.

This document defines the terms most commonly encountered in the field of polymer reactions and functional polymers. The scope has been limited to terms that are specific to polymer systems. The document is organized into three sections defining the terms relating to (i) reactions involving polymers (and not including individual chemical reactions names which are already in widespread use); (ii) polymer reactants and reactive polymeric materials; and (iii) functional polymeric materials.

www.iupac.org/publications/pac/2004/7604/7604x0889.html