Nomenclature of chain-growth polymers

A polymer of unspecified chain length is named with a prefix poly. The prefix is then followed by the name of the monomer. Also, it is customary to use the common names of monomers and polymers. For instance, common names for phenylethene and polyphenylethene are styrene and polystyrene. This, however, is not an inflexible rule. When the monomer is named by a single word, then the prefix poly is simply added like polyethylene for a polymer of ethylene or polystyrene for a polymer of styrene. If, however, the monomer is named by two words or is preceded by a number, like methyl methacrylate, parentheses are used. Examples are poly(methyl methacrylate) or poly(l-hexene). 

End groups are usually not specified in high polymers. End groups, however, can be known parts of the structure. This can be the case with telomers. Here, the end groups are named as radicals, prefixed by Greek letters, a and co. They appear before and after the name of the polymer. The structure of a telomer, C1-(-CH2-)aHCC13, is therefore called of-chloro-cu-trichloromethyl poly (methylene). 

In naming the polymer the following steps are recommended by lUPAC (1) identify the constitutional repeating unit, (2) orient the constitutional repeating unit, and (3) name the constitutional repeating unit. 

Random copolymers are designated by the prefix co, as in poly(butadiene-c -styrene) and poly(vinyl chloride-co-vinyl acetate). Alternating copolymers can be differentiated by substituting alt for CO, as in poly(ethylene-a/r-caibon monoxide). 

The prefix g describes graft copolymers and the prefix b describes block copolymers. In this system of nomenclature, the first polymer segment corresponds to the homopolymer or copolymer that was formed during the first stage of the synthesis. Should this be a graft copolymer then this will represent the backbone polymer. For instance, if polystyrene is graft copolymerized with polyethylene, the product is called poly(ethylene-g-styrene). A more complex example can be poly (butadiene-co-styrene-g-acrylonitrile-co-vinylidine chloride). Similarly, examples of block copolymers would be poly(acrylonitrile- -methyl methacrylate) or poly(methyl methacry late- -acry lonitrile). 

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