(of a polymer or polymer structure) in which the repeating units have no regular stereochemical configuration.
‘Depending on the location of the side groups and the nature of the starting monomers, linear polymers can have various structural isomers denoted as isotactic, syndiotactic, or atactic.’
‘Traditional polymer synthesis results in the random (atactic) location of the side-groups either to the left or right of the polymer chain.’
‘But if there is no order, as is the case with the atactic polystyrene, packing can't occur.’
Origin
Mid 19th century from Greek ataktos, from a- ‘not’ + taktos ‘arranged’+ -ic.
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