Polyolefins are the most widely used commercial polymers, and their functionalization has been a longstanding scientific challenge and an area of enduring industrial importance. Significant progress has been made in the field, with exciting results published in many peer-reviewed journals.

Functionalization of Polyolefins is the first book to summarize the significant experimental results in the field, and classify them into four coherent categories — direct polymerization, post-polymerization, the reactive copolymer approach, and polyolefin block and graft copolymers. It also provides an update on the functional polyolefin materials available today.

From the Preface: “...To my knowledge, there is no book specifically dedicated to the functionalization of polyolefin. Some book chapters describe individual chemical and physical modifications of specific polymers and their properties. With high interest in this research area and many new exciting experimental results available, it seems the right time to systematically summarize the experimental results into several basic chemical approaches and to discuss the scope and limitations (advantages and disadvantages) of each method...[T]he major goals of this book are to provide a reference for researchers, and especially to inspire new researchers and stimulate their ideas in this important area...”

Target Audience: Researchers in industry and academia in functionalization chemistry and polymers; also ideal as a core text for advanced polymer chemistry and courses on polyolefins and polymers.

Table of Contents:

Polyolefin Development and Prospects

General Approaches in Functionalization of Polyolefins

Direct Polymerization of B- and Si-Containing Monomers

Direct Polymerization of O-, N-, and Cl-Containing Monomers

Functionalization by Post-Polymerization Processes

Functionalization via Reactive Polyolefins Containing Borane Groups

Functionalization via Reactive Polyolefins Containing p-Methylstyrene Groups

Functionalization via Reactive Polyolefins Containing Unsaturated Groups

Synthesis of Polyolefins with a Terminal Functional Group

Synthesis of Functional Polyolefin Diblock Copolymers

Synthesis of Functional Polyolefin Graft Copolymers

New Maleic-Anhydride-Modified and Long-Chain-Branched Polyolefins

References

Index