A monomer is a molecule that forms the basic unit for polymers. They can be considered the building blocks from which proteins are made. Monomers can join other monomers to form a repeating chain molecule through a process called polymerization. The monomers can be of natural or synthetic origin.
Oligomers are polymers that consist of a small number (typically below one hundred) of monomer subunits.
The monomeric proteins are protein molecules that combine to form a multiprotein complex. Biopolymers are polymers that consist of organic monomers found in living organisms.
Because monomers represent a huge class of molecules, they are commonly classified into: sugars, alcohols, amines, acrylics, and epoxides.
The term "monomer" comes from combining the prefix mono, which means "one", and the suffix mer, which means "part."
Monomer Examples
Glucose, vinyl chloride, amino acids, and ethylene are examples of monomers. Each monomer can be linked in different ways to form a variety of polymers. In the case of glucose, for example, glycosidic bonds can link sugar monomers to form polymers such as glycogen, starch, and cellulose.
Monomer, a molecule of any of a class of compounds, mostly organic, that can react with other molecules to form very large molecules, or polymers. The essential characteristic of a monomer is polyfunctionality, the ability to form chemical bonds to at least two other monomer molecules. Bifunctional monomers can form only chain linear polymers, but higher functionality monomers produce network crosslinked polymeric products.
The monomer molecules and free radical initiators are added to a water-based emulsion bath along with soa-like materials known as surfactants or surface-acting agents. The surfactant molecules, composed of a hydrophilic (water attractant) and a hydrophobic (water repellent) end, form a stabilizing emulsion before polymerization by coating the monomer droplets.
Other surfactant molecules clump together into smaller aggregates called micelles, which also absorb monomer molecules. Polymerization occurs when initiators migrate into micelles, inducing monomer molecules to form large molecules that make up the latex particle.
