ABSTRACT
A. Supramolecular vs. Molecular Polymerization The concept of covalent polymerization of bifunctional monomeric units was pioneered by Staudinger [1] in the early 1920s. He introduced the term ‘‘macromolecule’’ and proposed structural formulas for natural rubber, polystyrene, and polyoxymethylene that are still valid today. The invariance of the colloidal properties of these compounds in different solvents was one of the proofs adduced to support the concept of a linear sequence of covalent bonds exhibiting a large degree of polymerization (DP). The alternative model of a colloid-type aggregate stabilized by weaker secondary interaction was dismissed. Polymer science was then born, growing-distinct from colloid science-to produce the outstanding developments that have affected our lives.
