monomer

A simple molecule which can add to or condense with itself to form a polymer. An amino acid is a monomer of a protein; ethylene (CH₂=CH₂) is the monomer of polyethylene (–CH₂–CH₂–)_n.

In chemistry, a monomer (from Greek mono "one" and meros "part") is a small molecule that may become chemically bonded to other monomers to form a polymer. Here hydrocarbon monomers such as phenylethene and ethene form polymers used as plastics like poly(phenylethene) (commonly known as polystyrene) and poly(ethene) (commonly known as polyethylene or polythene). In this case the polymerization reaction is known as a dehydration or condensation reaction (due to the formation of water (H2O) as one of the products) where a hydrogen atom and a hydroxyl (-OH) group are lost to form H2O and an oxygen molecule bonds between each monomer unit.

See also:

Oligomer Polymer Polymerization Important publications in polymer chemistry

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