The scientists placed photosensitive molecules in the cross-linking bridges that hold long linear chains of polymers together to form larger network of molecules. (scientificamerican.com)
Chauvin cracked the case in 1971, and his mechanism revealed that the metathesis reaction had the potential to be used for a wide range of reactions, such as turning linear compounds into rings, stitching linear chains together, and breaking rings open. (sciencemag.org)
He and his coauthors point out that the properties of most existing polymers are limited because they are constructed from linear chains of monomers. (newscientist.com)