Living polymerization of arylisocyanide initiated by the phenylethynyl palladium(II) complex

A family of air-stable phenylethynyl palladium complexes was unexpectedly found to initiate the polymerization of phenyl isocyanide in a living/controlled chain growth manner, affording well-defined, stereoregular poly(phenyl isocyanide)s in high yield with controlled molecular weights and narrow molecular weight distributions.