Home Physical Sciences Definitions Relating to Stereochemically Asymmetric Polymerizations (IUPAC Recommendations 2001)
Article Publicly Available

Definitions Relating to Stereochemically Asymmetric Polymerizations (IUPAC Recommendations 2001)

Published/Copyright: September 1, 2009
Download Article (PDF)
Become an author with De Gruyter Brill
Author Information
Chemistry International -- Newsmagazine for IUPAC
From the journal Chemistry International -- Newsmagazine for IUPAC Volume 24 Issue 6

Highlights from Pure and Applied Chemistry

Definitions Relating to Stereochemically Asymmetric Polymerizations (IUPAC Recommendations 2001)

by K. Hatada, J. Kahovec, M. Barón, K. Horie, T. Kitayama, P. Kubisa, G. P. Moss, R. F. T. Stepto, and E. S. Wilks

Pure and Applied Chemistry, Vol. 74, No. 6, pp. 915-922 (2002)

Asymmetric polymerization has been of interest to many academic and industrial polymer scientists, but IUPAC has made no explicit reference to the classification and definitions of reactions involving the asymmetric synthesis of polymers. This document presents definitions concerned with asymmetric and related polymerizations, with examples included to clarify the meaning of the definitions.

Asymmetric polymerization is defined as "A polymerization that proceeds in an unsymmetrical manner in terms of chirality under the influence of chiral features present in one or more components of the reaction system." The asymmetric polymerizations embrace two main categories, "asymmetric chirogenic polymerizations" and "asymmetric enantiomer-differentiating polymerizations," which are defined as follows:

Asymmetric chirogenic polymerization: An asymmetric polymerization in which the polymer molecules formed contain one (or more) new type(s) of elements of chirality not existing in the starting monomer(s).

An example of asymmetric chirogenic polymerization: Polymerization of penta-1,3-diene by 1,4-addition with an optically active catalyst gives an optically active polymer comprising configurational repeating units with predominantly one type of chirality center.

Asymmetric enantiomer-differentiating polymerization: An asymmetric polymerization in which, starting from a mixture of enantiomeric monomer molecules, only one enantiomer is polymerized.

An example of asymmetric enantiomer-differentiating polymerization: Polymerization of racemic 3-methylpent-1-ene (MP) using an optically active catalyst may give an optically active polymer by a polymerization that is partially asymmetric; preferential consumption of one of the two enantiomers leaves a monomer mixture having optical activity.

Some asymmetric chirogenic polymerizations give helical polymer molecules of only one screw sense that usually show optical activity due to the helicity. These polymerizations are termed "asymmetric helix-chirogenic polymerizations."

www.iupac.org/publications/pac/2002/7406/7406x0915.html

Published Online: 2009-09-01
Published in Print: 2002-11

© 2014 by Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Co.

Articles in the same Issue

  1. Contents
  2. What Lies Ahead for the Union
  3. PEDECIBA–Programa de DEsarrollo de CIencias BAsicas
  4. Scientific and Technical Information
  5. Macromolecular Nomenclature and Terminolo
  6. Aligning the Revised Red and Blue Books and Preparing for IUPAC Preferred Names
  7. The Address is www.iupac.org
  8. Dana Knox Receives the Franzosini Award
  9. New SIT Software Makes Speciation Calculations Easier
  10. Recommendations for NMR Measurements of High pK Values and Equilibrium Constants in Strongly Basic Solutions
  11. Performance Evaluation Criteria for Preparation and Measurement of Macroand Microfabricated Ion-Selective Electrodes
  12. New Solubility Data Projects
  13. Concepts and Structure for Requests in Clinical Laboratories
  14. Properties and Units for Transfusion Medicine and Immunohaematology
  15. Global Use of the C-NPU Concept System for Properties in Toxicology
  16. Definitions Relating to Stereochemically Asymmetric Polymerizations (IUPAC Recommendations 2001)
  17. Potentiometric Selectivity Coefficients of Ion-Selective Electrodes
  18. Provisional Recommendations
  19. The Science of Sweeteners
  20. Ionic Poylmerization
  21. Green Chemistry in Africa
  22. Vermeer's Camera: Uncovering the Truth Behind the Masterpieces
  23. Bioinformatics 2002: North-South Networking
  24. CHEMRAWN XIV Follows Up With Green Chemistry Activities
  25. Functional π-Electron Systems
  26. Organic Synthesis
  27. Solubility Phenomena–Application for Environmental Improvement
  28. Physical Organic Chemistry
  29. 11th International Conference on Polymer Characterization (POLYCHAR-11) 6-10 January 2003, Denton, Texas, USA
  30. 6th Annual UNESCO School & IUPAC Conference on Polymer Properties 14-17 April 2003, Mpumalanga, South Africa
  31. International Symposium on Ionic Polymerization 30 June-4 July 2003, Boston, USA
  32. 22nd Discussion Conference of P.M.M. on Spectroscopy of Partially Ordered Macromolecular Systems 21–24 July 2003, Prague, Czech Republic
  33. Calendar of IUPAC Sponsored Conferences
https://doi.org/10.1515/ci.2002.24.6.23

Articles in the same Issue

  1. Contents
  2. What Lies Ahead for the Union
  3. PEDECIBA–Programa de DEsarrollo de CIencias BAsicas
  4. Scientific and Technical Information
  5. Macromolecular Nomenclature and Terminolo
  6. Aligning the Revised Red and Blue Books and Preparing for IUPAC Preferred Names
  7. The Address is www.iupac.org
  8. Dana Knox Receives the Franzosini Award
  9. New SIT Software Makes Speciation Calculations Easier
  10. Recommendations for NMR Measurements of High pK Values and Equilibrium Constants in Strongly Basic Solutions
  11. Performance Evaluation Criteria for Preparation and Measurement of Macroand Microfabricated Ion-Selective Electrodes
  12. New Solubility Data Projects
  13. Concepts and Structure for Requests in Clinical Laboratories
  14. Properties and Units for Transfusion Medicine and Immunohaematology
  15. Global Use of the C-NPU Concept System for Properties in Toxicology
  16. Definitions Relating to Stereochemically Asymmetric Polymerizations (IUPAC Recommendations 2001)
  17. Potentiometric Selectivity Coefficients of Ion-Selective Electrodes
  18. Provisional Recommendations
  19. The Science of Sweeteners
  20. Ionic Poylmerization
  21. Green Chemistry in Africa
  22. Vermeer's Camera: Uncovering the Truth Behind the Masterpieces
  23. Bioinformatics 2002: North-South Networking
  24. CHEMRAWN XIV Follows Up With Green Chemistry Activities
  25. Functional π-Electron Systems
  26. Organic Synthesis
  27. Solubility Phenomena–Application for Environmental Improvement
  28. Physical Organic Chemistry
  29. 11th International Conference on Polymer Characterization (POLYCHAR-11) 6-10 January 2003, Denton, Texas, USA
  30. 6th Annual UNESCO School & IUPAC Conference on Polymer Properties 14-17 April 2003, Mpumalanga, South Africa
  31. International Symposium on Ionic Polymerization 30 June-4 July 2003, Boston, USA
  32. 22nd Discussion Conference of P.M.M. on Spectroscopy of Partially Ordered Macromolecular Systems 21–24 July 2003, Prague, Czech Republic
  33. Calendar of IUPAC Sponsored Conferences
Sign up now to receive a 20% welcome discount
Institutional Access
How does access work?
Have an idea on how to improve our website?
Please write us.
© 2025 De Gruyter Brill
Downloaded on 27.12.2025 from https://www.degruyterbrill.com/document/doi/10.1515/ci.2002.24.6.23/html
Scroll to top button