Differently substituted thiiranes were polymerized using an atropoisomeric chiral initiator: ZnEt, /(S)-2,2'-dihydroxy-l,1 '-binaphthyl (DHBN) (mole ratio l/l). It was observed that high stereoelectivities are obtained with monomers bearing small alkyl substituents and that the resolution efficiency of the initiator decreases as the bulkiness of the substituent increases. From the comparison of the results obtained with another initiator system, ZnEt, /(R)-3,3dimethyl-l,2-butanedioI (DMBD) (mole ratio 1 A), the use of ZnEt, /(S)-DHBN could be shown to be more suitable for the polymerization of thiiranes with linear alkyl substituents. Contrary to the case of polymerizations initiated by the system ZnEt, /(R)-DMBD, the polymerization reaction of thiiranes with ZnEt, /(S)-DHBN was usually accompanied by the production of the corresponding olefins in various amounts. 20) fait que la polymtrisation du methylthiiranne (la) avec le systkme ZnEt, /(S)-DHBN est assez proche du cas d'une polymtrisation stkrtotlective idtale dans laquelle l'amorceur choisit exclusivement l'un des tnantiomkres. Ce rtsultat remarquable nous a incitt B entreprendre l'ttude de la polymtrisation d'autres thiirannes avec le m&me systkme d'amorqage. Rtcemment, Suda et al.3) ont utilist avec succks pour la polymtrisation sttrtotlective de l'a-mtthylbenzyl mtthacrylate ractmique, un amorceur dont la composante chirale ttait constitute par un autre type de compost atropoisomere: le diamino-2,2 dimtthyl-6,6' biphtnyl-1 ,l '. 0025-1 16)3/87/$03.00 1584 M. Sepulchre A B Dans le prksent article, nous dtcrivons les polymkrisations de plusieurs Chiirannes diffkremment substituks tels que l'kthylthiiranne (1 b), l'isopropylthiirannk (lc), le butylthiiranne (ld), l'kthyl-2 mkthyl-2 thiiranne (le), le mkthoxymkthylthiiranne (If), le sec-butylthiiranne (lg) et enfin le tert-butylthiiranne (lh) avec le systeme ZnEt, /(S)-DHBN en nous attachant surtout A l'aspect stkrkoklectif du processus.