Functionalization of syndiotactic polystyrene

Syndiotactic polystyrene (sPS) is a promising material that has been commercialized and widely studied by the academic community. Several drawbacks can however restrict its practical use: its brittleness, in areas where mechanical properties are important, the lack of polar groups, for adhesion and compatibility with other polymers, and the need to process sPS at high temperatures. These drawbacks can be overcome by the introduction of relevant functional groups into sPS. We present in this review the various strategies reported for the functionalization of syndiotactic polystyrene: statistical and sequential block copolymerization, chain transfer and chain-end functionalization, polymerization of substituted styrenic monomers and chemical modification of sPS.