Living Polymers in Anionic Polymerization

Anionic chain-growth polymerization builds a polymer through initiation, propagation, and termination. It begins when a nucleophilic anion, such as butyl lithium, attacks the pi bond of a vinylic monomer. This creates a carbanion, which is a carbon atom with a negative charge. The electron-withdrawing group on the monomer he...

The anionic polymerization mechanism involves three steps: initiation, propagation, and termination.

In the initiation step, a nucleophilic anion, such as butyllithium, adds to the π bond of a vinylic monomer to generate a carbanion stabilized by the electron‐withdrawing group of the monomer.

In the propagation step, the resulting ...