Precision branching in ethylene copolymers: Synthesis and thermal behavior

Acyclic diene metathesis polymerization allows the synthesis of sequenced polyethylene copolymers via step‐growth propagation, thereby avoiding the inherent side reactions associated with chain polymerization. Here we review the synthesis and thermal behavior of ADMET polyethylene (PE) as well as ethylene/propylene (EP), ethylene/butene (EB), ethylene/octane (EO), and ethylene/vinyl ether (EVE) copolymers prepared by ADMET. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 44: 4981–4989, 2006 Polyethylene and ethylene‐based copolymers are the world's most widely produced macromolecules. Chain‐propagation chemistry is generally used to produce these materials, during which undesirable chain‐transfer or chain‐walking side reactions incorporate small fractions of structural imperfections into the polymer microstructure. Acyclic diene metathesis polymerization allows the synthesis of sequenced polyethylene copolymers via step‐growth propagation, thereby avoiding the inherent side reactions associated with chain polymerization.