Nonpolar monomers: Styrene and 1,3-butadiene derivatives

Abstract

This chapter reviews the living anionic polymerization of styrene, 1,3-butadiene, and their functional derivatives mainly achieved since the mid-1980s. Attention is first focused on the living anionic polymerization of functional styrene derivatives. With the finding of anion-stable functionalities and the successful development of two strategies using protective groups to mask the reactive functionalities and electron-withdrawing functional groups to change the reactivities of monomers and their chain-end anions, a large number of styrene derivatives carrying almost all the useful functionalities acquire the ability to undergo the living anionic polymerization. Secondly, the anionic polymerization of several functional 1,3-butadiene derivatives and the stereochemistry of the resulting polymers will be described. Finally, a variety of chain-functionalization reactions using functional 1,1-diphenylethylene derivatives via a 1:1 addition reaction will be introduced.