RECENT ADVANCES IN THERMOPLASTIC ELASTOMER SYNTHESIS

There is increasing interest in exploiting the potential of synthetic-polymer chemistry to prepare a variety of polymers with control of the major variables affecting polymer properties. Living polymerizations provide the maximum degree of control for synthesis of polymers with predictable, well-defined structures. Thus, it is not surprising that many recent advances in polymer synthesis have involved the development of new living polymerization systems proceeding via a variety of mechanistic types including anionic, cationic, radical, Ziegler-Natta, ring-opening methathesis, coordination, and group-transfer polymerization. This review will consider the application of these new methods for the synthesis of both linear and star block copolymers with well-defined structures.