This chapter is intended to provide a general introduction to the laboratory techniques used in polymer synthesis, by focusing on some relatively well-known polymerizations that occur by chain-growth processes. In this way some of the more commonly used procedures in polymer chemistry are described. Due to the nature of the intermediates produced, such as free radicals, carbanions, carbocations, together with a range of organometallic species, the techniques often involve handling compounds in the complete absence of oxygen and moisture. Because of this the best results may require quite sophisticated equipment and glassware; however, it is our intention to show that the general procedures are accessible to any reasonably equipped laboratory, and indeed some of the techniques are suitable for use in an undergraduate teaching laboratory. Chain-growth polymerization involves the sequential step-wise addition of monomer to a growing chain. Usually, the monomer is unsaturated, almost always a derivative of ethene, and most commonly vinylic, that is, a monosubstituted ethane, 1 particularly where the growing chain is a free radical. For such monomers, the polymerization process is classified by the way in which polymerization is initiated and thus the nature of the propagating chain, namely anionic, cationic, or free radical; polymerization by coordination catalyst is generally considered separately as the nature of the growing chain-end may be less clear and coordination may bring about a substantial level of control not possible with other methods. Ring-opening polymerizations exhibit many of the features of chain-growth polymerization, but may also show some of the features expected from stepgrowth polymerizations. However, it is probably fair to say that from a practical point of view the techniques involved are rather similar or the same as those used in chain-growth processes and consequently some examples of ring-opening processes are provided here. It is particularly instructive to consider the requirements of chain-growth compared to step-growth processes in terms of the demands for reagent purity and reaction conditions.
Sol-Gel Chemistry by Ring-Opening Polymerization