Would you expect a polymer to be formed by the reaction of terephthalic acid with ethyl alcohol

step 1 In step reaction polymerization, monomers typically have two or more functional groups that reac

Would you expect a polymer to be formed by the reaction of...

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Key Concepts

Polycondensation Reaction

Polycondensation is a type of polymerization in which monomers with two or more reactive functional groups react to form a polymer with the elimination of small molecules such as water or alcohol. In the context of polyester synthesis, a dicarboxylic acid reacts with a diol to form ester linkages. This reaction mechanism is central to the production of many synthetic polymers, and the elimination of small molecules drives the formation of long-chain polymers under the appropriate conditions.

Monomer Functionality

Monomer functionality refers to the number of reactive groups a monomer molecule possesses, which determines its ability to form polymers. For effective step-growth polymerization, especially in condensation polymerizations, monomers typically need to be difunctional or higher. Ethylene glycol, being difunctional, can link with terephthalic acid (a difunctional acid) to form a polyester. Ethyl alcohol, however, is monofunctional, meaning it possesses only one reactive hydroxyl group, which is insufficient for forming long-chain polymers because it cannot propagate the reaction without termination. Glycerol, with three hydroxyl groups, is multifunctional and can lead to branching or crosslinking when reacted with a diacid, which profoundly affects the structure of the resulting polymer.

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