From DNA to Silly Putty: The diverse world of polymers - Jan Mattingly

從 DNA (去氧核醣核酸) 到 Silly Putty (傻瓜黏土)，聚合物的多元世界－詹‧馬丁利

譯者: Yamei Huang 審譯者: Jenny Yang

What do silk,

蠶絲是什麼做成的？

DNA,

wood,

DNA(去氧核醣核酸)，

木材，

balloons,

氣球，

and Silly Putty all have in common?

以及Silly Putty(傻瓜黏土)， 它們又有什麼共同之處？

They're polymers.

原來它們都是聚合物，

Polymers are such a big part of our lives

聚合物充斥在我們日常生活中，

that it's virtually impossible

想想看，若是沒聚合物

to imagine a world without them,

這個世界會是什麼樣子，

but what the heck are they?

但聚合物到底是什麼東西？

Polymers are large molecules

聚合物是一種大分子，

made of small units called monomers

這分子是由較小單位的單體所組成

linked together like the railroad cars from a train.

這些單體連結在一起，就像一列有軌電車，

Poly means many,

Poly是＂多＂的意思，

and mono means one,

Mono是＂單一＂的意思，

and mers or mero means parts.

mers 或mero是＂小單位＂的意思。

Many polymers are made by repeating

大多數的聚合物是由許多小單體

the same small monomer over and over again

一次又一次重複鏈結而成，

while others are made from two monomers

而有些聚合物是由二個單體

linked in a pattern.

鏈結成一種形式而成的。

All living things are made of polymers.

所有活生生的生物，都是由聚合物組成，

Some of the organic molecules in organisms

有些有機體的有機分子

are small and simple,

小而且簡單，

having only one of a few functional groups.

這些小分子，只是少數官能基之一‵，

Others, especially those that play structural roles

其他的分子，特別是那些扮演結構角色，

or store genetic information,

或儲存遺傳訊息的分子，

are macromolecules.

是屬於大分子，

In many cases, these macromolecules are polymers.

在大多數的情況下，這些大分子就是聚合物，

For example, complex carbohydrates

例如：碳水化合物

are polymers of simple sugars,

就是單糖聚合物，

proteins are polymers of amino acids,

蛋白質是氨基酸聚合物，

and nucleic acids, DNA and RNA,

核酸，DNA(去氧核醣核酸)，RNA(核糖核酸)，

which contain our genetic information,

裡頭有我們遺傳基因的資訊，

are polymers of nucleotides.

也是核甘酸的聚合物。

Trees and plants are made

樹木及植物

of the polymer cellulose.

其樹皮及樹幹可發現堅韌結實的構造，

It's the tough stuff you find in bark and stems.

是由纖維素聚合物所組成。

Feathers,

羽毛，

fur,

hair,

毛皮，

頭髮，

and fingernails

以及指甲

are made up of the protein keratin,

都是由角蛋白所組成，

also a polymer.

角蛋白也是一種聚合物。

It doesn't stop there.

聚合物的產品，真是不勝枚舉。

Did you know that the exoskeletons

你知道動物界中最大的一門

of the largest phylum in the animal kingdom,

節肢動物門(門)的外骨骼，

the arthropods,

這些節肢動物，

are made of the polymer chitin?

是由蟹殼質聚合物所組成的嗎？

Polymers also form the basis

聚合物也是構成

for synthetic fibers, rubbers, and plastics.

人造纖維，橡膠以及塑膠的基礎，

All synthetic polymers are derived from petroleum oil

所有的人造纖維都是石油的衍生物

and manufactured through chemical reactions.

透過化學反應製造出來。

The two most common types of reactions

有二種最常見的化學反應

used to make polymers

被用來製造聚合物

are addition reactions

這二種是加成反應

and condensation reactions.

及‎縮合反應。

In addition reactions,

在加成反應裡，

monomers simply add together to form the polymer.

單體‎簡單地鏈結在一起形合聚合物。

The process starts with a free radical,

加成反應程序，從一個自由基開始，

a species with an unpaired electron.

是一種未成對電子，

The free radical attacks

這自由基會攻擊、破壞鍵結

and breaks the bonds to form new bonds.

然後產生新的鍵結。

This process repeats over and over

不斷地重複地破壞鍵結，產生新鏈結

to create a long-chained polymer.

以形成長鏈聚合物。

In condensation reactions,

至於‎縮合反應，

a small molecule, such as water,

一個小分子的物質，例如：水，

is produced with each chain-extending reaction.

是由每一個鏈延伸反應所產生，

The first synthetic polymers

第一批合成聚合物

were created by accident

是在不同化學反應的副產品中

as by-products of various chemical reactions.

意外被發現的。

Thinking they were useless,

在當時認為這副產品一點用處也沒有，

chemists mostly discarded them.

化學家們通常把它給丟掉，

Finally, one named Leo Baekeland

最後，有一位化學家李奧.貝克蘭

decided maybe his useless by-product

認為這個無用的副產品

wasn't so useless after all.

或許還有其他用途。

His work resulted in a plastic

結果發現

that could be permanently squished into a shape

塑膠可以在高壓及高溫下

using pressure and high temperatures.

被永久塑形。

Since the name of this plastic,

當時塑膠的名稱為

polyoxybenzylmethylenglycolanhydride,

polyoxybenzylmethylenglycolanhydride,

wasn't very catchy,

這個名稱實在太難記了，

advertisers called it Bakelite.

廣告商稱它為電木。

Bakelite was made into telephones,

電木被用來製造電話機，

children's toys,

小孩子的玩具，

and insulators for electrical devices.

以及電子零件的絕緣體。

With its development in 1907,

到了1907年，

the plastics industry exploded.

人們大量使用塑膠製品。

One other familiar polymer, Silly Putty,

另一個眾所周知的聚合物產品， Silly Putty(傻瓜黏土)，

was also invented by accident.

也是在意外中被發現。

During World War II,

二次大戰期間，

the United States was in desperate need

美國軍隊

of synthetic rubber to support the military.

急需人工橡膠作軍事用途。

A team of chemists at General Electric

通用電器公司(General Electric) 的一組化學家

attempted to create one

試圖去研究出人工橡膠，

but ended up with a gooey, soft putty.

結果卻產生一種黏稠的，軟軟的物質，

It wasn't a good rubber substitute,

它絕不是一個好的橡膠替代品，

but it did have one strange quality:

而是一種特殊化學性質的黏稠物，

it appeared to be extremely bouncy.

一種極富彈性的物質，

Silly Putty was born!

傻瓜黏土(Silly Putty )因此誕生了！

Synthetic polymers have changed the world.

人工聚合物改變了世界。

Think about it.

你想想看，

Could you imagine getting through a single day

你可想像一整天

without using plastic?

沒有使用塑膠產品嗎？

But polymers aren't all good.

但並非聚合物都沒有缺點，

Styrofoam, for example, is made mainly of styrene,

例如：保利龍，其成分為聚苯乙烯，

which has been identified as a possible carcinogen

被美國國家環境保護局證實

by the Environmental Protection Agency.

可能是致癌物。

As Styrofoam products are being made,

一旦聚苯乙烯的產品被製造出來，

or as they slowly deteriorate in landfills or the ocean,

隨著垃圾掩埋場或海洋生態逐漸惡化，

they can release toxic styrene

會將有毒聚苯乙烯

into the environment.

釋放到環境中。

In addition, plastics that are created

除此之外，

by addition polymerization reactions,

塑膠是由加成聚合反應所產生，

like Styrofoam,

如保麗龍，

plastic bags,

塑膠袋，

and PVC,

以及PVC(聚氯乙烯），

are built to be durable and food-safe,

都是為了耐用及食品安全而製造，

but that means that they don't break down

那表示這些東西在環境裡

in the environment.

無法分解。

Millions of tons of plastics

每一年，數以百萬噸的塑膠產品

are dumped into landfills every year.

被送到垃圾掩埋場。

This plastic doesn't biodegrade,

塑膠產品無法被生物分解，

it just breaks down

這些產品分解成

into smaller and smaller pieces,

一小片，一小片的塑膠，

affecting marine life

影響海洋生態

and eventually making their way back to humans.

最後返回影響到人類。

Polymers can be soft or hard,

聚合物可軟可硬，

squishy or solid,

糊狀或固體，

fragile or strong.

易碎或堅固，

The huge variation between

最大的差別在於

means they can form

以不同的方法，

an incredibly diverse array of substances,

大量製造成各式各樣的物質，

from DNA

從DNA(去氧核醣核酸)

to nylon stockings.

到尼龍長襪，

Polymers are so useful

聚合物的用途非常廣

that we've grown to depend on them every day.

日常生活中，我們越來越依賴這些產品。

But some are littering

但這些塑膠產品也污染了

our oceans, cities, and waterways

我們的海洋、城市和下水道，

with effects on our health

以致影響我們的健康，

that we're only beginning to understand.

而我們現在才開始了解這嚴重性。