[en] Transition metal-assisted polymerization techniques have always played a crucial role in polymer synthesis. As an illustration, metallic compounds have deeply marked the field of living/controlled radical polymerization (L/CRP) which gives access to well-defined polymers under non drastic conditions. Indeed, atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) is one of the most successful methods to polymerize vinyl monomers in a controlled manner. Besides this very successful system, another metal-assisted CRP technique is emerging, i.e. organometallic-mediated radical polymerization (OMRP). In contrast to ATRP, OMRP involves the reversible formation of a covalent bond between a transition metal and the polymer chains, which strongly decreases the extent of termination reactions and leads to polymers with predictable molecular weights. This lecture aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the synthetic and mechanistic aspects of OMRP as well as major achievements and remaining challenges in this field.
Center for Education and Research on Macromolecules (CERM)
Fonds de la Recherche Scientifique (Communauté française de Belgique) - F.R.S.-FNRS