Step-growth radical copolymerization between a,u-diiodoperfluoroalkanes (A) and a,u-unconjugated dienes (B) proceeds efficiently through a photo-induced Step Transfer-Addition & Radical-Termination (START) strategy in aqueous/organic biphasic system. The addition of water in our polymerization strategy enhanced the overall polymerization efficiency and inhibited the function loss (C–I) signific...

Introducing polar functionalities to polyolefins such as polyethylene and polypropylene is highly desirable for improving physical properties of the otherwise non-polar material. The synthesis stereoregular functionalized polyolefins, however, has been a relatively underdeveloped area compared that because lack suitable catalysts tolerate groups while possessing stereoselectivity. This review s...

Aqueous catalytic polymerization may seem like a contradiction at first sight. The high water sensitivity of Ziegler or Phillips catalysts applied commercially for the production of polyolefins is well known. However, water offers a unique combination of properties as a medium for polymerization reactions: A high heat capacity, which enables an effective transfer of the heat of polymerization. ...

The en masse cyclization of polyolefins into polycyclic terpenoids by cyclase enzymes (e.g. squalene to hopene), is a biosynthetic reaction of particular fascination to chemists. Noteworthy recent additions to synthetic mimics of the cyclase enzymes are asymmetric methods that include Brønsted–Lewis acids (BLA), masked equivalents of Br and I, organocatalysts, and electrophilic metal catalysts....

Polyolefins account for 60% of global plastic consumption, but many potential applications of polyolefins require that their properties, such as compatibility with polar polymers, adhesion, gas permeability, and surface wetting, be improved. A strategy to overcome these deficiencies would involve the introduction of polar functionalities onto the polymer chain. Here, we describe the Ni-catalyze...

Introduction Middle 1950s may be treated as the beginning of the age of plastics – their global production in last 60 years have increased from approx. 1.5 mln to almost 290 mln tons. The dominating position in production and consumption of these materials for many years has been occupied by polyolefins (in Europe 48% from 57 mln tons of plastics) [1]. Forecasters predict that in coming years t...

In order to meet the technical specifications in roofing applications, bitumen used for this purpose is standardly modified by polymers. This, general, allows re-use of recycled polymer during production polymer-modified (PmB), simultaneously reducing amount polymeric waste. Recycling processes, however, may degrade or contaminate polymers, leading reduced crystallinity and lower melting temper...