Asymmetric kinetic resolution polymerization

•The review covers the literatures related to Asymmetric Kinetic Resolution Polymerization (AKRP).•A distinctive way to obtained well-defined chiral polymers with high stereoselectivity.•An accurate and direct characterization pathway of chiral polymers.•A relationship between the chirality of catalysts and their stereocontrol polymerizations.•A plausible manner to understand the origin of chirality. Synthetic chiral polymers play an increasing and prominent role in the field of material science due to special properties different from traditional polymer materials. One distinctive way to prepare well-defined chiral polymers is based on asymmetric kinetic resolution polymerization (AKRP), in which stereoregularity introduced to a polymer chain via kinetic resolution of a racemate preferentially polymerizing one enantiomer. AKRP not only has the ability to synthesize chiral polymers with high stereoselectivity, but also enables enantioselective characterization of chiral polymers. This review covers the literature related to the use of chiral metal complexes, organocatalysts and enzymes as promoters of AKRP.