Synthesis of Block Copolymers of Polyester and Polystyrene by Means of Cross-Metathesis of Cyclic Unsaturated Polyester and Atom Transfer Radical Polymerization

Linear Block Copolymer Synthesis

Block copolymers form the basis of the most ubiquitous materials such as thermoplastic elastomers, bridge interphases in polymer blends, and are fundamental for the development of high-performance materials. The driving force to further advance these materials is the accessibility of block copolymers, which have a wide variety in composition, functional group content, and precision of their structure. To advance and broaden the application of block copolymers will depend on the nature of combined segmented blocks, guided through the combination of polymerization techniques to reach a high versatility in block copolymer architecture and function. This review provides the most comprehensive overview of techniques to prepare linear block copolymers and is intended to serve as a guideline on how polymerization techniques can work together to result in desired block combinations. As the review will give an account of the relevant procedures and access areas, the sections will include orthogonal approaches or sequentially combined polymerization techniques, which increases the synthetic options for these materials.

Importance of a reversible reaction for the synthesis of telechelic polymers by means of polycondensation using an excess of one monomer

Reversible unstoichiometric polycondensation of a diol formate and dicarboxylic acid ester through an ester–ester exchange reaction is an effective strategy for the synthesis of telechelic polymers free from contamination with cyclic polymers.

Polymer chain editing: functionality “knock-in”, “knock-out” and replacement via cross metathesis reaction and thiol-Michael addition

Inspired by the gene editing process, chain editing of synthetic polymers, including functionality “knock-out”, “knock-in” and replacement, was performed through cross metathesis and thiol-Michael addition.

Using the dynamic behavior of macrocyclic monomers with a bis(hindered amino)disulfide linker for the preparation of end-functionalized polymers

End-functionalized polymers were synthesized by simply heating a mixture of a macrocyclic compound with one bis(2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidin-1-yl)disulfide (BiTEMPS) moiety and bifunctional acyclic BiTEMPS compounds as sources of repeat units and terminal groups, respectively.

Synthesis of telechelic polyesters by means of transesterification of an A2 + B2 polycondensation-derived cyclic polyester with a functionalized diester

End-functionalized linear polyesters were synthesized by means of base-catalyzed transesterification of a cyclic polyester, obtained by A₂ + B₂ polycondensation, with a symmetric functional diester as an exchange reagent.