Ring Formation vs. Chain Polymerization

Polyfunctionality of the reactants is not sufficient in itself to assure formation of polymer the reaction may proceed intramolecularly with the formation of cyclic products. For example, hydroxy acids when heated yield either lactone or linear polymer (or both), 

The condensation of amino acids likewise may produce cyclic and/or linear products the same is true of virtually all polyfunctional condensation reactions. The conversion of cyclic monomers and dimers (or other cyclic low polymers) to chain polymers was discussed in the preceding chapter the reverse reaction may often occur as well. Thus the alternative ring and chain products which may be produced by condensation of a bifunctional monomer usually are interconvertible, but with varying degrees of facility. 

The cyclization constant (7, which may be evaluated from the observed ratio of the two products at a given concentration c, affords a measure of the tendency for a given bifunctional compound to cyclize. A plot of log C vs. the ring size n for the lactonization of w-hydroxy acids 

As the ring size is increased above twelve atoms, the number of per- 

The principles set forth above account reasonably well for the course of bifunctional condensations under ordinary conditions and for the relative difficulty of ring formation with units of less than five or more than seven members. They do not explain the formation of cyclic monomers from five-atom units to the total exclusion of linear polymers. Thus 7-hydroxy acids condense exclusively to lactones such as I, 7-amino acids give the lactams II, succinic acid yields the cyclic anhydride III, and ethylene carbonate and ethylene formal occur only in the cyclic forms IV and V. 

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Ring Formation vs. Chain Polymerization from Six- and Seven-membered Units... 

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