https://doi.org/10.1351/goldbook.15288
Polymer composed of macromolecules containing exclusively oxyalkane-α,ω-diyl (formerly oxyalkylene) constitutional repeating units in the backbone: \[\ce{-[-O-Y\bond{-}]_{n}\bond{-}}\] where \(\ce{Y}\) is an alkane-α,ω-diyl (formerly alkylene) or substituted alkane-α,ω-diyl group contributing at least two carbon atoms to the main chain.
Notes:
- An analog of polyoxyalkylene, for which \(\ce{Y}\) is \(\ce{-CR2\bond{-}}\) (\(\ce{R = H}\), alkyl, aryl, etc.) is a polyoxymethylene.
- Polyoxyalkylenes are a subclass of polyethers.
Example: \[\begin{gather} \ce{-[-O-CH2-CH2\bond{-}]_n\bond{-}} \\[1ex] {\rm{poly(oxyethylene)}}\end{gather}\]