Syndiotaktisia

Syndiotaktisia refers to a term in polymer science that describes the arrangement of monomer units in a polymer chain. The term is derived from the Greek words "syn", meaning "together" or "synd", implying "association", and "taktos", meaning "arrangement" or "order". A syndiotactic polymer is one in which the monomer units along the polymer chain are arranged in a regular but alternating fashion, meaning that like groups of atoms are arranged on alternating sides of the polymer chain.

This type of arrangement can have significant effects on the properties of the polymer. For instance, the rigidity and crystallinity of syndiotactic polymers are often higher than those of atactic or isotactic polymers, with the former exhibiting higher melting temperatures. The physical and chemical properties of a polymer can be purposesfully modified by changing the tacticity of its monomers, for instance, polypropylene (pp) can be tailored from isotactic (the more abundant form) to syndiotactic form by varying the synthesis methods.

The name "syndiotactic" was coined to describe this particular arrangement in contrast to other types, such as isotactic, where the same groups of atoms are the same in the polymer chain, and atactic, where there is no regular pattern in the arrangement. Understanding the tacticity of polymers is significant in elucidating their crystallinity and effect below the melting point.