Term: crosslinking
https://doi.org/10.1351/goldbook.CT07136

Definition:
Reaction involving sites or groups on existing macromolecules or an interaction between existing macromolecules that results in the formation of a small region in a macromolecule from which at least four chains emanate.

Notes:
0) The small region may be an atom, a group of atoms, or a number of branch points connected by bonds, groups of atoms, or @O04286@ chains.
1) A reaction of a reactive chain end of a @L03554@ with an internal reactive site of another @L03554@ results in the formation of a branch point, but is not regarded as a crosslinking reaction.

Related Terms:
1) crosslink (http://doi.org/10.1351/goldbook.C01409).
2) oligomeric (http://doi.org/10.1351/goldbook.O04286).
3) linear macromolecule (http://doi.org/10.1351/goldbook.L03554).

Source: PAC, 2007, 79, 1801. 'Definitions of terms relating to the structure and processing of sols, gels, networks, and inorganic-organic hybrid materials (IUPAC Recommendations 2007)' on page 1821 (https://doi.org/10.1351/pac200779101801)

Citation: 'crosslinking' in IUPAC Compendium of Chemical Terminology, 5th ed. International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry; 2025. Online version 5.0.0, 2025. https://doi.org/10.1351/goldbook.CT07136

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