Polymers gives a thorough introduction to polymer chemistry, ranging from a historical perspective, through the development of high-tonnage materials earlier in the twentieth century, to modern high-performance materials that have a range of useful additional properties. Polymers are the archetypal modern materials, used in every aspect of everyday life. Chapters cover polymers, polymer properties and characterisation, chain polymerisation, step-growth polymers, three-dimensional networks, and functional polymers. The text also includes discussion of practical industrial aspects in the technology of these materials.
Chapter
Organometallic chemistry and catalysis
This chapter provides a background on the vital role that catalysis plays in the production of fuels, commodity chemicals, fine chemicals, and pharmaceuticals, including as a means for strengthening environmental safeguards all over the world. It mentions the rapid development of organometallic chemistry and applications in catalytic processes, including technology based on organometallic catalysis such as olefin polymerization. It also discusses heterogenous catalysts which are used for the production of large-scale commodity chemicals, such as methanol and ammonia, and in the production of high-octane gasoline from petroleum. The chapter talks about the significance of homogeneous catalysts in the manufacture of both commodity and fine chemicals in high purity. It gives a comparison between homogeneous and heterogeneous catalysis.
Chapter
Metabolism and the biochemistry of glucose
This chapter describes the nature of chemical energy within cells and looks at how this energy is harnessed from enzyme-catalysed reactions. It deals with the relation of cellular energy to the ability to facilitate dehydration chemistry in aqueous solution and the primary source of dehydrating power in cells. It also analyses the establishment of the nature of biochemical energy and explains how the biochemistry of glucose is used as an example of the manipulation of chemicals in cells. The chapter mentions mechanical, electrical, and chemical energies, which are the forms of energy cells use. It also discusses constructed polymers, which are characteristic of life. The polymers common to all living systems correspond to the joining of monomer units with concomitant loss of water.
Chapter
Combinatorial Chemistry and High Throughput Screening
This chapter explores combinatorial chemistry and high throughput screening. During the 1980s, a rapid increase in molecular biology techniques had resulted in the development of rapid, efficient drug testing systems, known as high throughput screening (HTS). These techniques were able to provide accurate results on extremely small quantities (μg) of test substances. However, in order to be used economically, HTS requires rapid production of very large numbers of test substances which could not be met by traditional synthesis. Combinatorial chemistry was developed to provide new test molecules in sufficient numbers to meet this need. The chapter investigates solid phase synthesis, solution phase synthesis, and polymer-assisted solution phase synthesis. It also considers chemical tagging, deconvolution, purification, combinatorial libraries, and chemogenomics.
