Recent advances in alternating copolymers: The synthesis, modification, and applications of precision polymers

Alternating copolymers represent a special class of copolymers, in which the two comonomers copolymerize in a regular alternating sequence along the chain. Their interesting physical and chemical properties, as well as the underlying mechanism, have attracted significant attention in both academia and industry. The electron-donor benzylidene monomers - styrene and stilbene, readily form alternating copolymers with the electron-acceptor monomers - maleic anhydride and N-substituted maleimides. The rich chemistry of the substitution groups on these monomers offers enormous combinations for the synthesis of alternating copolymers for different applications. In this paper, we aim to provide a general overview of recent publications on the specific field of these benzylidene-containing alternating copolymers, and the emphasis is placed on the synthetic progress, structure-property relationships, and the applications of these copolymers. (C) 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.