Carbene or C1 Polymerization

Metal-catalyzed polymerization of carbon-carbon double bond containing monomers is most widely known and today people produce roughly 180 million tons of polyolefins every year. In this so-called olefin polymerization or vinyl insertion polymerization method, each monomer delivers two carbon atoms in each propagation step. The current source of C2 monomers is mainly crude oil, which is currently available in ample quantities and hence the monomers are cheaper at this moment. However, the supply of crude oil is finite and unsustainable, which calls for long-term sustainable strategies for predictable and uninterrupted supply of monomers. Boron-mediated C1 polymerization represents one of the oldest C1 polymerization methods. A variety of boron compounds such as organoboranes, haloboranes, and borohydrides are known to polymerize C1 monomers. Although nonfunctionalized polyolefins such as polyethylene, polypropylene, and polystyrene dominate the field of polymer science and technology, the demand for functionalized polyolefin was picked up in the past two decades.