Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • adjective Of or relating to a polymer in which the repeating units are all identically oriented.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • adjective chemistry, of a polymer Having substituents arranged in the same (rather than random) configuration in each repeat unit

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[iso– + Greek taktos, arranged; see tactics in Indo-European roots + –ic.]

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Examples

  • Ziegler-Natta catalyst system then in use by Shell to produce isotactic polypropylene was no where near as efficient as those currently in use, and the level of inorganics remaining in the polymer was high.

    Richard E. Smalley - Autobiography 1997

  • Prof. Natta extended the research conducted by Ziegler on organometallic catalysts to the stereospecific polymerization, thus discovering new classes of polymers with a sterically ordered structure, viz. isotactic, syndiotactic and di-isotactic polymers and linear non branched olefinic polymers and copolymers with an atactic (or sterically nonordered) structure.

    Giulio Natta - Biography 1972

  • These studies, which were developed for industrial application in Montecatini's laboratories, led to the realisation of a thermoplastic material, isotactic polypropylene, which

    Giulio Natta - Biography 1972

  • In such chains, all the side groups point to the right or to the left, these chains being called isotactic.

    Nobel Prize in Chemistry 1963 - Presentation Speech 1972

  • Thus, while ordinary hydrocarbon chains are zigzag - shaped, isotactic chains form helices with the side groups pointing outwards.

    Nobel Prize in Chemistry 1963 - Presentation Speech 1972

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