The document defines the terms most commonly encountered in the field of polymer reactions and functional polymers. The scope has been limited to terms that are specific to polymer systems. The document is organized into three sections. The first defines the terms relating to reactions of polymers. Names of individual chemical reactions are omitted from the document, even in cases where the reactions are important in the field of polymer reactions. The second section defines the terms relating to polymer reactants and reactive polymeric materials. The third section defines the terms describing functional polymeric materials.

This document defines the terms most commonly encountered in the field of polymers containing ionizable or ionic groups and polymers containing ions. The scope of the document has been limited to organic polymers. Inorganic materials, such as certain phosphates, silicates, etc., which also may be considered ionic polymers, are excluded from the present document. The terms selected are those that are widely used in the field of polymers containing ionizable or ionic groups and polymers containing ions. Only those terms that could be defined without ambiguity are considered. The terms are listed in alphabetical order, and cross-references to definitions given in other documents are provided.

A structure-based nomenclature for regular single-strand organic polymers is described. In concept, a generic name for the polymer (ABC)n is poly(ABC), in which (ABC) is a constitutional repeating unit (CRU) representing the chemical structure of the polymer chain, and A, B, and C are the subunits that comprise the CRU. To provide a unique and unambiguous name, rules are given to identify the preferred CRU and to name it using the names of A, B, and C based on current organic nomenclature. Provisions are made for naming end-groups of the polymers and the polymer substituents. In addition, the document contains a glossary of concepts and definitions, a list of common subunit names, and a variety of examples of structure-based polymer names. The document is a revision of the 1975 Rules.

The universal adoption of an agreed nomenclature has never been more important for the description of chemical structures in publishing and online searching. The International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) and Chemical Abstracts Service (CAS) make similar recommendations. The main points are shown here with references to original documents. Further details can be found in the IUPAC Purple Book.

Abstract