Star-shaped polymer

Star-shaped polymers are the simplest class of branched polymers with a general structure consisting of several (more than three) linear chains connected to a central core. The core, or the center, of the polymer can be an atom, molecule, or macromolecule; the chains, or “arms,” consist of variable-length organic chains. Star-shaped polymers in which the arms are all equivalent in length and structure are considered homogeneous, and ones with variable lengths and structures are considered heterogeneous.