Ni/Pd-catalyzed coordination-insertion copolymerization of ethylene with alkyl acrylate

Commercially, polyethylene is a highly produced commodity polymer. But due to its hydrophobic nature, it limits its applications, where utility is based on surface properties, such as adhesion, printability, wettability, and miscibility with other polar polymers. Therefore, the presence of a hydrophilic polar functionality is desired to overcome such difficulties. With its high exigency, synthesis of functionalized polyethylene with unique surface properties is now a very challenging task to be accomplished. In this perspective, developments on palladium and nickel (mainly based on ligands containing neutral α-diimine and anionic phosphine–sulfonate derivative)-mediated coordination/insertion copolymerization of ethylene with polar functionalized co-monomers are discussed herein.