Backbone chain

From Infogalactic: the planetary knowledge core
Jump to: navigation, search


<templatestyles src="Template:Quote_box/styles.css" />

IUPAC definition

Main chain
Backbone
That linear chain to which all other chains, long or short or both,
may be regarded as being pendant.

Note: Where two or more chains could equally be considered to be the
main chain, that one is selected which leads to the simplest representation
of the molecule.[1]

In polymer science, the backbone chain or main chain of a polymer is the series of covalently bounded atoms that together create the continuous chain of the molecule.

Character of the backbone

In a way the character of the backbone chain depends on the type of polymerization: in step-growth polymerization the monomer moiety becomes the backbone, and thus the backbone is typically functional, like in polythiophenes or low band gap polymers in organic semiconductors.[2] In chain-growth polymerization, typically applied for alkenes, the backbone is not functional, but is bearing the functional side chains or pendant groups. However, in polypeptides, the backbone is as important for the functionality of the polymer as the side chains. The backbone in polypeptides consists of carbon and nitrogen atoms of the constituent amino acids and does not include the side chains.

The character of the backbone, i.e. its flexibility, determines the thermal properties of the polymer (such as the glass transition temperature), e.g. in polisiloxanes the backbone chain is very flexible, resultin in very low glass transition temperature of -123 °C.[3] The polymers with a rigid backbone are prone to crystallization (e.g. polythiophenes) in thin films and in solution. Crystallization in its turn affects the optical properties of the polymers, its optical band gap and electronic levels.[4]

The configuration of a polypeptide relies on the flexibility of the torsion angles of the backbone. [5] The flexibility of the peptide backbone determines its ability to stretch which is important for proteins under mechanical stress.

Types of backbone

References

  1. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  2. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  3. Polymers
  4. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  5. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  6. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  7. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.

See also


<templatestyles src="Asbox/styles.css"></templatestyles>