Living ring-opening polymerizations of heterocyclic monomers

As it follows from the “Contents”, mechanisms of living ring-opening polymerizations (LROP), including anionic, coordination, cationic, activated monomer, and polymerization in dispersed media are described. These processes, conceptually, are based on the idea developed by Szwarc after discovering living conditions for anionic vinyl polymerization. Thus, whenever it was possible the rate constants of the elementary reactions are given, and rate constants for ions and ion pairs are compared, as determined according to the “Szwarc plots”, or their simplified forms. Results of anionic and cationic LROP are analyzed, indicating differences between the chemical structures of active species and departures from the “livingness”.