POLYISOBUTYLENE BASED DESIGNED POLYMERS

The field of cationic polymerization has moved center stage with the r ecent discovery of living polymerization that lead to the design of po lymers with controlled molecular architecture. This report will provid e a brief introduction of living cationic polymerization of isobutylen e (IB) by tertiary ethers, and new cationic initiating systems based o n peroxides and hydroperoxides. This paper will also briefly review so me our recent work on the design of block copolymers via multi-mode po lymerization (cationic - radical transformation) including the synthes is of star-blocks. The application of polyisobutylenes (PIBs) in the d esign of ''beaded molecular strings,'' a new class of molecular assemb ly will be discussed as well.