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CAIE A-Level Chemistry 35.1.1 Formation of Polyesters

Practise forming polyester repeat units from bifunctional monomers or a hydroxycarboxylic acid.

Syllabus
2028–2030
Course
Chemistry 9701
Level
A2

Exam points

  • join a diol to a dicarboxylic acid or dioyl chloride through displayed –C(=O)–O– ester links
  • form a polyester from one hydroxycarboxylic acid by linking its OH and COOH functions repeatedly
  • show the correct carbon skeleton, exactly the requested repeat unit and continuation bonds at both ends

35.1.1—Formation of polyesters question 1

[Maximum number: 1]

Lactic acid, CH3CH(OH)COOH\mathrm{CH}_{3} \mathrm{CH}(\mathrm{OH}) \mathrm{COOH}, is the only monomer needed to form the polymer polylactic acid, PLA.

Give the name of the type of polymerisation involved in the formation of PLA and the name of the functional group that forms between the monomers.
type of polymerisation
functional group

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