Adv Polym Sci (2013) 261: 263–270
DOI: 10.1007/12_2013_270
© Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2013
Published online: 6 November 2013
Stereochemical Studies at the Herman
F. Mark Polymer Research Institute
Mark M. Green
Abstract Although stereochemistry plays a key role in the structure and function
of biological polymers it was not until the discovery of isotactic polypropylene,
now about 60 years ago, that the role of stereochemistry was seen to be of
importance in synthetic polymers. Staudinger had predicted that although the nature
of the bonding in small molecules and in macromolecules was identical, polymers
would have special properties associated with the size of macromolecules. This
article outlines how stereochemical studies demonstrate Staudinger’s prescience in
many ways. The story takes us from the tactic nature of vinyl polymers and their
unrecognized and recognized chirality, to helicity, a characteristic shared by biological and certain synthetic polymers. There is an advantage to studying stereochemistry in synthetic polymers: their chiral characteristics can be manipulated in
ways not possible in biological polymers, allowing discovery of new phenomena
that cross boundaries outside of the polymer realm.
Keywords Chirality Á Helix Á Macromolecules Á Mark Á Polymers Á Staudinger Á
Stereochemistry Á Tactic polymers
Scientists who joined the Polymer Research Institute at Brooklyn Polytechnic were
encouraged by Herman Mark to carry out research in areas they might have been
familiar with in their studies of small molecules. Professor Mark knew from his
scientific experience that there existed no boundaries between the principles of the
science that depended on molecular size. In 1980 therefore when I first met him
on joining Polytech he asked about my background and, on discovering that I had
an interest in stereochemistry and chirality, he suggested that I look at the stereochemical properties of the vinyl polymers. This led me to read the work of two
M.M. Green (*)
Department of Chemical and Biological Science, Herman F. Mark Polymer Research Institute,
Polytechnic Institute of New York University, 6 Metrotech Center, Brooklyn, NY 11201, USA
e-mail: mgreen@duke.poly.edu
DOI: 10.1007/12_2013_270
© Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2013
Published online: 6 November 2013
Stereochemical Studies at the Herman
F. Mark Polymer Research Institute
Mark M. Green
Abstract Although stereochemistry plays a key role in the structure and function
of biological polymers it was not until the discovery of isotactic polypropylene,
now about 60 years ago, that the role of stereochemistry was seen to be of
importance in synthetic polymers. Staudinger had predicted that although the nature
of the bonding in small molecules and in macromolecules was identical, polymers
would have special properties associated with the size of macromolecules. This
article outlines how stereochemical studies demonstrate Staudinger’s prescience in
many ways. The story takes us from the tactic nature of vinyl polymers and their
unrecognized and recognized chirality, to helicity, a characteristic shared by biological and certain synthetic polymers. There is an advantage to studying stereochemistry in synthetic polymers: their chiral characteristics can be manipulated in
ways not possible in biological polymers, allowing discovery of new phenomena
that cross boundaries outside of the polymer realm.
Keywords Chirality Á Helix Á Macromolecules Á Mark Á Polymers Á Staudinger Á
Stereochemistry Á Tactic polymers
Scientists who joined the Polymer Research Institute at Brooklyn Polytechnic were
encouraged by Herman Mark to carry out research in areas they might have been
familiar with in their studies of small molecules. Professor Mark knew from his
scientific experience that there existed no boundaries between the principles of the
science that depended on molecular size. In 1980 therefore when I first met him
on joining Polytech he asked about my background and, on discovering that I had
an interest in stereochemistry and chirality, he suggested that I look at the stereochemical properties of the vinyl polymers. This led me to read the work of two
M.M. Green (*)
Department of Chemical and Biological Science, Herman F. Mark Polymer Research Institute,
Polytechnic Institute of New York University, 6 Metrotech Center, Brooklyn, NY 11201, USA
e-mail: mgreen@duke.poly.edu