ION-PAIRING POLYMERIZATION

This account describes the development of a new type of polymerization catalysis termed ion-pairing polymerization (IPP). IPP utilizes compatible and dually active transition-metal cation-main-group anion ion pairs in which both the cation and the anion can independently catalyze the polymer chain growth in a single polymerization reaction. Furthermore, cations and anions of ion pairs can exhibit different stereoselectivity and growing chains at the cationic and anionic sites can undergo infrequent exchange between the two sites, thereby covalently linking the polymer chains produced at both sites to afford functionalized vinyl polymers with unique stereomultiblock microstructures.