Lithium alkylnickelate and alkylpalladate bimetallic "ate" complexes as initiators for anionic polymerization of methyl methacrylate

Anionic‐coordinative polymerization of methyl methacrylate (MMA) was carried out in the presence of new bimetallic initiators based on lithium alkylnickelates and alkylpalladates in tetrahydrofuran, at −78°C. Well‐defined poly(methyl methacrylate), PMMA, with molecular weights increasing linearly with conversion and relatively narrow polydispersities (M̄w/M̄n = 1,26 to 1,4) were prepared by initiation with some of the “ate” complexes. In the presence of lithium “ate” Ni‐based complexes, PMMA with enhanced syndiotacticity [(rr) = 73 to 75%] was formed.