Rare Earth Metal-Mediated Group Transfer Polymerization of Vinylphosphonates

Recent studies have shown that poly(vinylphosphonate)s are readily accessible by rare earth metal-mediated group transfer polymerization (GTP). This article highlights the progress in this new field and advantages of GTP in comparison to classical anionic and radical polymerization approaches. Late lanthanide metallocenes proved to be efficient initiators and highly active catalysts for vinylphosphonate polymerization yielding polymers of precise molecular weight and low polydispersity. Using this method, our group has developed a surface-initiated GTP to prepare poly(vinylphosphonate) brushes. In combination with different ester cleavage strategies, rare earth metal-mediated GTP is an efficient way to create well-defined high-molecular-weight poly(vinylphosphonic acid).