This book contains the texts of the main lectures presented at the NATO Advanced Studies Institute on "Advances in Preparation and Properties of Stereoregular Polymers" held at Tirrenia near Pisa, Italy, from October 3 to 14, 1978. A few contributed papers have also been included because they were concerned with topics not included in the main lectures. The primary objective of the Institute was to assist in the further development of stereoregular polymers because of the ever-increasing demand for new products with exceptional chemical and physical properties. This need has reawakened interest in the field. Indeed there is now a rapidly increasing activity in the study of stereoregular polymerization and the preparation of structurally-ordered polymers with the aim of achieving apprecia­ ble improvements in existing polymeric materials through new developments in synthesis and properties as well as in discovering new polymeric structures. In order to achieve these objectives, a broad interdiscipli­ nary cooperation among scientists involved in investigations on the design, synthesis, characterization and application of stereo­ regular or structurally-ordered polymers will be necessary.

Inhalt

I. Stereoregular Polymers Synthesis and Polymerization Mechanism.- l. Stereoregular Polymers:Stereochemical Aspects and Synthetic Approaches.- 2.Recent Developments in Stereoregulation by Ziegler-Natta Polymerization of ?-Olefins.- 3.Kinetic Considerations and Active Centre Determinations in Ziegler-Natta Polymerization.- 4. New Supported Catalysts for Stereoregular Polymerization of ?-Olefins.- 5. The Control of Diolefins Selective Polymerization.- 6. Stereochemistry of the Metathesis Reaction of Olefins.- 7. Stereoregulation of Homogeneous Free Radical, Cationic and Anionic Polymerization Reactions.- 8. Coexistence of Active Species in Anionic Polymerization of Ethyl Methacrylate.- 9. Ion Pair Effects on the Anionic Oligomerization. Stereochemistry of Vinyl Pyridines and Related Monomers.- 10. Auto- and Induced Stereoregulation of Polyisocyanides.- 11. Present Understanding of the Stereospecific Polymerization of Cyclic Monomers: Three-Member Rings.- 12. Present Understanding of the Stereospecific Polymerization of Cyclic Monomers:Large Rings.- 13. Stereoregular Polymers from Substituted ?-Lactones and ?-Lactams.- II.Characterization and Properties of Stereoregular Polymers.- 14.Physical and Mechanical Properties of Optically Active and Racemic Poly( ?-Methyl- ?-n-Propyl- ?- Propiolactone).- 15.NMR Analysis of Stereoregular Homopolymers.- l6.NMR Analysis of Stereoregular Copolymers.- 17.Present Status of the Configurational and Conformational Analysis of Stereoregular Polymers.- 18. Application of Chiroptical Properties to Conformational Analysis of Stereoregular Polymers..- 19.Recent Developments of Vibrational Spectroscopy of Polymers.-Dynamics and Spectra of Disordered Polymers..- 20.The Crystalline Structure of Addition Polymers. Recent Research Results.- 21.New Insights and Unsolved Problems in the Crystalline Structure of Polyesters.- 22.Present Understanding of the Viscoelastic and Mechanical Properties of Stereoregular Polymers..- 23.Effect of Stereoregularity on Bulk Properties of Polymers.- Index of Subjects.