Polyolefin–polar block copolymers from versatile new macromonomers

A new metallocene-based polymerization mechanism is elucidated in which a zirconium hydride center inserts α-methylstyrene at the start of a polymer chain. The hydride is then regenerated by hydrogenation to release a polyolefin containing a single terminal α-methylstyrenyl group. Through the use of the difunctional monomer 1,3-diisopropenylbenzene, this catalytic hydride insertion polymerization is applied to the production of linear polyethylene and ethylene–hexene copolymers containing an isopropenylbenzene end group. Conducting simple radical polymerizations in the presence of this new type of macromonomer leads to diblock copolymers containing a polyolefin attached to an acrylate, methacrylate, vinyl ester, or styrenic segments. The new materials are readily available and exhibit interfacial phenomena, including the mediation of the mixing of immiscible polymer blends

Molecular self-assembly and clustering in nucleation processes: general discussion

crosscheck: This document is CrossCheck deposited related_article: http://dx.doi.org/10.1039/C4FD00215F related_article: http://dx.doi.org/10.1039/C4FD00217B related_article: http://dx.doi.org/10.1039/C4FD00275J related_article: http://dx.doi.org/10.1039/C4FD00225C related_article: http://dx.doi.org/10.1039/C4FD00269E related_article: http://dx.doi.org/10.1039/C4FD00262H related_article: http://dx.doi.org/10.1039/C5FD00037H copyright_licence: The Royal Society of Chemistry has an exclusive publication licence for this journal history: Advance Article published 15 June 2015; Version of Record published 29 June 2015status: publishe