The Renaissance of Side-Chain Ferrocene-Containing Polymers: Scope and Limitations of Vinylferrocene and Ferrocenyl Methacrylates

The synthesis of metal-containing polymers and block copolymers has led to a rapidly expanding field of research interest for manifold potential applications. Within this contribution, some recent advances in the field of side-chain ferrocene-containing polymers focusing on poly(vinylferrocene) and poly(ferrocenyl methacrylates) are presented. The synthetic developments shown focus on living and controlled polymerizations, as well as surface-initiated polymerization strategies. First attempts and recent developments for these novel redox-responsive materials toward feasible applications are addressed.