Reaction involving sites or groups on existing macromolecules or an interaction between existing macromolecules that results in the formation of a small region in a macromolecule from which at least four chains emanate.
Notes:
- The small region may be an atom, a group of atoms, or a number of branch points connected by bonds, groups of atoms, or oligomeric chains.
- A reaction of a reactive chain end of a linear macromolecule with an internal reactive site of another linear macromolecule results in the formation of a branch point, but is not regarded as a crosslinking reaction.
Source:
PAC, 2004, 76, 889
(Definitions of terms relating to reactions of polymers and to functional polymeric materials (IUPAC Recommendations 2003))
on page 891
Cite as:
IUPAC. Compendium of Chemical Terminology, 2nd ed. (the "Gold Book"). Compiled by A. D. McNaught and A.Wilkinson. Blackwell Scientific Publications, Oxford (1997). XML on-line corrected version: http://goldbook.iupac.org (2006-) created by M. Nic, J. Jirat, B. Kosata; updates compiled by A. Jenkins. ISBN 0-9678550-9-8.
doi:10.1351/goldbook.
