Work

Synthesis of functional ‘polyolefins’: state of the art and remaining challenges

Year: 2013

Type: review

Abstract: Functional polyolefins (i.e., polyethene or polypropene bearing functional groups) are highly desired materials, due to their beneficial surface properties. Many different pathways exist for the synthesis of these materials, each with its own advantages and drawbacks. This review focuses on those synthetic pathways that build up a polymer chain from ethene/propene and functionalised polar vinyl monomers. Despite many recent advances in the various fields of olefin polymerisation, it still remains a challenge to synthesise high molecular-weight copolymers with tuneable amounts of functional groups, preferably with consecutive insertions of polar monomers occurring in a stereoselective way. To overcome some of these challenges, polymerisation of alternative functionalised monomers is explored as well.

Source: Chemical Society Reviews

DOI: 10.1039/c3cs60032g

Authors: Nicole M. G. Franssen, Joost N. H. Reek, Bas de Bruin

Institutions: Dutch Polymer Institute, University of Amsterdam

Language: English

Topic: Advanced Polymer Synthesis and Characterization

Subfield: Organic Chemistry

Field: Chemistry

Domain: Physical Sciences

Open Access status: hybrid

Funders: Royal Society of Chemistry, Universiteit van Amsterdam, FP7 Ideas: European Research Council

Award: Catalytic Carbene Insertion Reactions; Creating Diversity in (Material) Synthesis