2.1 Comparison of Traditional Polymer Science
with Dendritic Macromolecular Science
Covalent synthesis in traditional polymer science has evolved around the use of
reactive modules (AB-type monomer) or ABR-type branch reagents that may be
engaged in multiple covalent bond formation to produce large one-dimensional
molecules of various lengths. Such multiple bond formation may be driven either
Fig. 6 Traditional macromolecular architectures, organized chronologically according to their
commercial introduction
•Polymer Types
Discovery Production Main Applications
•Poly(methyl methacrylate)
1880
1928
Plastics (Plexiglass®)
Poly(vinyl acetate)
1912
1930
Adhesive, poly(vinyl alcohol)
Poly(styrene)
1839
1930
Thermoplastics, foams
Poly(vinyl chloride)
1838
1931
Thermoplastics (synthetic fiber)
Poly(ethylene oxide)
-1931
Thickeners, sizes
Poly(vinyl ethers)
1928
1936
Adhesives, plasticizers
Poly(hexamethylene adipamide)
1934
1938
Fibers, thermoplastics
Poly(vinylidene chloride)
1838
1939
Thermoplastics (packing films)
Poly(N-vinyl pyrrolidone)
-1939
Blood plasma expander, binders
•Poly(ethylene), low density
1933
1939
Thermoplastics
Poly(e-caprolactam)
1938
1939
Fibers, thermoplastics
Polyurethanes
1937
1940
Fibers, plastics, elastomers, foams
•Poly(acrylonitrile)
1940
1941
Fibers
Poly(tetrafluoroethylene)
1939
1950
Plastics, fibers
Poly(ethylene terephthalate)
1941
1953
Fibers, bottles
Bisphenol A polycarbonate
1898
1953
Thermoplastics
Poly(ethylene), high density
1953
1955
Thermoplastics, foams
Poly(propylene), isotactic
1954
1957
Thermoplastics, fibers
Poly(formaldehyde)
1839
1959
Thermoplastics
Aromatic polyamides
-1961
High modulus fibers
Styrene-butadiene-styrene block
1965
Thermoplastic elastomers
copolymers
Poly(olefins), long chain branching 1980s
1990s
Elastomers, plastomers
Polymer Types
Discovery Production Main Applications
Phenolic resins
1907
1910
Thermosets
(electrical insulators)
Methyl rubbers
1912
1915
Elastomers
Alkyl resins
1847
1926
Thermosets (coatings)
Amino resins
1915
1928
Thermosets
Poly(butadiene)
1911
1929
Elastomers (number Bunas)
Poly(chloroprene)
1925
1932
Elastomers
Unsaturated polyesters 1930
1936
Thermosets
Poly(isobutylene)
-1937
Elastomers
Styrene-butadiene
1926
1937
Elastomers (letter Bunas)
rubbers
Silicone
1901
1942
Fluids, resins, elastomers
Epoxy resins
1938
1946
Adhesives
Poly(butadiene), cis, 1,4
-1956
Elastomers
Class I
(Linear)
Class II
(Cross-Linked)
Class III
(Branched)
Thermoplastics
Thermosets
•Polymer Types
Discovery Production
•Poly(methyl methacrylate)
1880
1928
Plastics (Plexiglass®)
Poly(vinyl acetate)
1912
1930
Adhesive, poly(vinyl alcohol)
Poly(styrene)
1839
1930
Thermoplastics, foams
Poly(vinyl chloride)
1838
1931
Thermoplastics (synthetic fiber)
Poly(ethylene oxide)
-1931
Thickeners, sizes
Poly(vinyl ethers)
1928
1936
Adhesives, plasticizers
Poly(hexamethylene adipamide)
1934
1938
Fibers, thermoplastics
Poly(vinylidene chloride)
1838
1939
Thermoplastics (packing films)
Poly(N-vinyl pyrrolidone)
-1939
Blood plasma expander, binders
•Poly(ethylene), low density
1933
1939
Thermoplastics
Poly(e-caprolactam)
1938
1939
Fibers, thermoplastics
Polyurethanes
1937
1940
Fibers, plastics, elastomers, foams
•Poly(acrylonitrile)
1940
1941
Fibers
Poly(tetrafluoroethylene)
1939
1950
Plastics, fibers
Poly(ethylene terephthalate)
1941
1953
Fibers, bottles
Bisphenol A polycarbonate
1898
1953
Thermoplastics
Poly(ethylene), high density
1953
1955
Thermoplastics, foams
Poly(propylene), isotactic
1954
1957
Thermoplastics, fibers
Poly(formaldehyde)
1839
1959
Thermoplastics
Aromatic polyamides
-1961
High modulus fibers
Styrene-butadiene-styrene block
1965
Thermoplastic elastomers
copolymers
Poly(olefins), long chain branching 1980s
1990s
Elastomers, plastomers
Discovery Production Main Applications
Phenolic resins
1907
1910
Thermosets
(electrical insulators)
Methyl rubbers
1912
1915
Elastomers
Alkyl resins
1847
1926
Thermosets (coatings)
Amino resins
1915
1928
Thermosets
Poly(butadiene)
1911
1929
Elastomers (number Bunas)
Poly(chloroprene)
1925
1932
Elastomers
Unsaturated polyesters 1930
1936
Thermosets
Poly(isobutylene)
-1937
Elastomers
Styrene-butadiene
1926
1937
Elastomers (letter Bunas)
rubbers
Silicone
1901
1942
Fluids, resins, elastomers
Epoxy resins
1938
1946
Adhesives
Poly(butadiene), cis, 1,4
-1956
Elastomers
Class I
(Linear)
Class II
(Cross-Linked)
Class III
(Branched)
Thermoplastics
Thermosets
Fig. 5 Dates of discovery and production of commercial thermoplastic and thermoset polymers,
organized according to their architectural class [93]. Copyright Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co.
KGaA. Reproduced with permission
330
D.A. Tomalia