Department of Applied Chemistry, Faculty of Engineering, Kogakuin University, Nakano-cho, Hachioji, Tokyo 192-0015, Japan
Abstract:
Recent development in the field of the ring-opening polymerization of lactams is reviewed from the viewpoint of the living polymerization. The living anionic polymerization of several lactams has been attained by skillful selection of the monomer structure and the polymerization condition. The chemical modification of the acyllactam-type growing chain ends in the resulting monodisperse living polyamides is also described to be useful for the molecular design of various types of the well-defined and polyamide-composed polymeric materials.