Monomers
Monomers are small molecules that can be linked together to form polymers. The most common type of monomer is a hydrocarbon, which is a molecule that contains only carbon and hydrogen atoms. Other types of monomers include alcohols, amines, and carboxylic acids.
Monomers can be linked together in a variety of ways to form different types of polymers. The most common type of polymer is a homopolymer, which is a polymer that is made up of only one type of monomer. Other types of polymers include copolymers, which are made up of two or more different types of monomers, and block polymers, which are made up of blocks of different types of monomers.
Isomers
Isomers are molecules with the same molecular formula but different structures. This means that isomers have the same number and type of atoms, but they are arranged in different ways.
There are two main types of isomers: structural isomers and stereoisomers. Structural isomers have different covalent bonding arrangements of their atoms. Stereoisomers have the same covalent bonding arrangement of their atoms but differ in their spatial arrangement.
Structural isomers can be further divided into two subcategories: chain isomers and functional group isomers. Chain isomers have different arrangements of their carbon atoms, while functional group isomers have different functional groups.
Stereoisomers can be further divided into two subcategories: enantiomers and diastereomers. Enantiomers are mirror images of each other, while diastereomers are not mirror images of each other.
Summary
The main difference between monomers and isomers is that monomers are the basic units of polymers, while isomers are molecules with the same molecular formula but different structures. Monomers can be linked together to form different types of polymers, while isomers have different physical and chemical properties.
