Tunable Late-Transition-Metal-Catalyzed Polymerization for Controlled Polymer Synthesis

Abstract

As a powerful protocol for the preparation of common polymers, such as polyolefins, polyesters, and polycarbonates, late-transition-metal-catalyzed polymerization can be carried out by controlling the reaction conditions or developing dynamic catalytic systems that use external stimuli to influence the performance of the active sites, resulting in well-defined polymeric materials. In particularly, under the latter conditions, ‘one catalyst’ can provide more than one kind of polymer with a controlled sequence from the monomer mixture, making full use of the prepared catalyst. In this review, tunable modes, including reaction conditions, redox, light or electrochemical properties, Lewis acids, and alkali metal cations, of late-transition-metal-complex (especially iron, cobalt, and nickel)-catalyzed polymerization were collected and thoroughly discussed.