Polymerization of cyclic imino ethers: From its discovery to the present state of the art

Abstract

ABSTRACT:Topics concerning the cationic ring-opening polymerization of cyclic imino ethers and functional material production based on the resulting polymers are reviewed. Cyclic imino ethers are readily subjected to isomerization polymerization via cationic initiators. Mechanistic studies have provided a new concept, electrophilic polymerization. Double isomerization polymerization and no-catalyst alternating copolymerization are interesting examples that show characteristics of the ring opening of cyclic imino ethers. The living polymerization of these monomers affords precisely controlled polymeric materials. Through the use of the unique properties of the product polymers, various functional polymeric materials, such as polymeric nonionic surfactants, compatibilizers, hydrogels, stabilizers for dispersion polymerization, biocatalyst modifiers, and supramolecular assemblies, have been developed.

Poly(2‐oxazoline)s: Alive and Kicking

“…The living nature of this polymerization method allows the preparation of welldefined block copolymers by the addition of a second monomer when the first monomer is completely consumed. [18] Besides the easy access to well-defined block copolymers, variation of the substituent on the 2-position of the 2-oxazoline ring can significantly change the properties of the resulting poly(2-oxazoline)s from, e.g., hydrophilic (methyl or ethyl) to hydrophobic (longer alkyl or aromatic). These variation possibilities make the class of poly(2-oxazoline)s very well suited for the synthesis of well-defined systematic libraries of (co)polymers and, thus, for the determination of structure-property relationships.…”

Bioinspired Poly(2-oxazoline)s

“…The synthesis and polymerization mechanisms of a wide variety of 2-oxazoline monomers have been reviewed by Kobayashi [6], Aoi and Okada [7], as well as by Kobayashi and Uyama [8]. Aspects of advanced macromolecular engineering of polyoxazolines, including side-and end-chain functionalization, synthesis and properties of block and random copolymers, etc., have very recently been assorted by Hoogenboom [9,10], Schlaad et al [11], and Makino and Kobayashi [12].…”

Design Strategies for Functionalized Poly(2-oxazoline)s and Derived Materials

“…The most recent developments published in the last ten years have been focused on during the compilation of this review; crosslinked poly(2-oxazoline)s, which were reviewed in a recent publication, have been omitted from this compilation [10]. While this review focuses on the synthesis of poly(2-oxazoline)s and copoly(2-oxazoline)s as well as the derived materials, the properties of the polymers and materials themselves will be discussed only for dedicated examples, and the reader interested in more and/or more general details is referred to recent reviews in that area [11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20].…”