Term: macromonomer
https://doi.org/10.1351/goldbook.M03668

Definition:
Polymer or oligomer the molecules of which each have one end-group that acts as a monomer molecule, so that each polymer or oligomer molecule contributes only a single monomer unit to a chain of the product polymer.

Notes:
0) The @H02855@ or @C01336@ of a macromonomer yields a comb or @G02679@.
1) Macromonomers are also sometimes referred to as macromers. The use of the term 'macromer' is strongly discouraged.

Related Terms:
1) homopolymerization (http://doi.org/10.1351/goldbook.H02855).
2) copolymerization (http://doi.org/10.1351/goldbook.C01336).
3) graft polymer (http://doi.org/10.1351/goldbook.G02679).
4) oligomer (http://doi.org/10.1351/goldbook.O04283).
5) end-group (http://doi.org/10.1351/goldbook.E02092).
6) monomer molecule (http://doi.org/10.1351/goldbook.M04019).
7) oligomer molecule (http://doi.org/10.1351/goldbook.O04286).
8) monomer unit (http://doi.org/10.1351/goldbook.M04018).

Source: PAC, 2004, 76, 889. 'Definitions of terms relating to reactions of polymers and to functional polymeric materials (IUPAC Recommendations 2003)' on page 896 (https://doi.org/10.1351/pac200476040889)

Citation: 'macromonomer' 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.M03668

License: The IUPAC Gold Book is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike CC BY-SA 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) for individual terms.

Disclaimer: The International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) is continuously reviewing and, where needed, updating terms in the Compendium of Chemical Terminology (the IUPAC Gold Book). Users of these terms are encouraged to include the version of a term with its use and to check regularly for updates to term definitions that you are using.