PROGRESS IN CONTROLLED POLYMERIZATION AND DESIGN OF NOVEL POLYMER ARCHITECTURES

Recent developments of new synthetic methods are stimulating the desig n of new polymers. Modern generations of highly active and selective t ransition metal catalysts give excellent control on molecular weight, regio-and stereoregularities, long- and short-chain-branching, polymer crystallization, and morphology of olefin, diene, cyclolefin, and sty rene polymers. Ethene is copolymerized with polar comonomers such as c arbon monoxide and acrylates in new low pressure processes. Catalytic coupling reactions of aromatic halogen compounds and bisphenols afford rigid polyarylenes. ''Living'' radical polymerization (''TEMPO'' and ''ATRP'') produce a wide range of telechelics, block copolymers and ca scade macromolecules. In reactive processing oxazoline-mediated coupli ng reactions are the key to melt diversification of well-known polymer s. Supramolecular concepts are being applied to tailor hybrid polymers and nanocomposites. Precision in polymer synthesis is the key to new materials with wide application range.