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In polymer chemistry, a structural unit is a building block of a polymer chain. It is the result of a monomer which has been Polymerization into a long chain.
There may be more than one structural unit in the repeat unit. When different monomers are polymerized, a copolymer is formed. It is a routine way of developing new properties for new materials.
HO-CH2-CH2-OH and HOOC-C6H4-COOH
In the polymer, there are two structural units, which are -O-CH2-CH2-O- and -CO-C6H4-CO-
The repeat unit is
-CH2-CH2-O-CO-C6H4-CO-O-
Other values of functionality exist. Unless the macromolecule is cyclic, it will have monovalent structural units at each end of the polymer chain. In branched polymers, there are trifunctional units at each branch point. For example, in the synthesis of PET, a small fraction of the ethylene glycol can be replaced by glycerol which has three alcohol groups. This trifunctional molecule inserts itself in the polymeric chain and bonds to three carboxylic acid groups forming a branch point.
Finally, the formation of polymers involves tetrafunctional structural units. For example, in the synthesis of cross-linked polystyrene, a small fraction of monomeric styrene (or vinylbenzene) is replaced by 1,4-divinylbenzene (or para-divinylbenzene). Each of the two vinyl groups is inserted into a polymeric chain, so that the tetravalent unit is inserted into both chains, linking them together.
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