3: Chain Polymerisation

Chain polymerisation involves the reaction of unsaturated monomers to form polymers. Compared to step polymerisation (discussed in Chapter 2), chain polymerisation is the pre-eminent technique to synthesise high molecular weight polymers, particularly transition metal-containing polymers. The techniques can be classified into radical, cationic, anionic, ring-opening, and ring-opening metastasis polymerisations depending on the mechanism of initiation and propagation or the structure of the monomer. By the end of the chapter, we expect the student to understand important mechanistic and kinetic considerations supported with some examples to inspire the design of inorganic and organometallic polymers.