"Polymer Science and Engineering: Challenges, Needs, and Opportunities," a report issued in 1981 by the National Research Council's ad hoc Panel on Polymer Science and Engineering gives ample support for the urgent need of increased commitment to basic studies on polymers. Needs and opportunities, mentioned in the Panel's list, included polymerization methods, specialty polymers, high performance materials, and in situ (reaction injection molding) polymerization for direct conversion of monomers/oligomers to useful shapes. Clearly, in all these and several other areas, advances in polymer synthesis are needed. Whether one takes a look at the commodity or specialty polymers area or considers areas of growing needs, such as polymers for the automotive, aerospace, electronics, communications, separations, packaging, biomedical, etc., advances in polymer synthesis are needed. Polymeric materials, as they are constantly being modified and improved, fine-tuned for current and additional needs, and more readily adopted by industry and the public, will have a vastly expanding influence on everyday life. However, lack of long-term support of meaningful size for basic research on all facets of polymer chemistry and engineering, with particular emphasis on making needed advances in polymer synthesis, could well stunt the growth of high techn.ology in our country. Expanding this thought, lack of attention to basic research on polymer synthesis could help foster or insure that we won't have materials with performance profiles to meet requirements of emerging technologies and national needs, in a reasonably economic and timely fashion.

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Alternating copolymers Via Diels Alder and Ene Reactions With Bis-Triazolinediones.- Ring Opening Polymerization of Benzoxazines A New Route To Phenolic Resins.- Polyesters and Polyamides Containing Isomeric Furan Dicarboxylic Acids.- Synthesis of Segmented Poly(Arylene Ether Sulfone) Poly (Arylene Terephthalate) Copolymers.- Synthesis and Characterization of Poly(Arylene Ether Sulfones) and Poly(Arylene Ether Ketones) Derived from Tetramethyl Bisphenol A.- Thermotropic Polyethers and Copolyethers: A New Class of Main Chain Liquid Crystalline Polymers.- Polymers from Benzene and Sulfur: Friedel and Crafts Revisited.- Poly(Phenylene Sulfide).- Synthesis of Aromatic and Aliphatic Phosphorus-Containing Poly(Anhydrides).- Functional, Telechelic Polymers Derived from Reactions of Nucleophilic Oligomers and Alkenyl Azlactones, Part I. Telechelic Acrylamides Derived from Reactions of Alkenyl Azlactones and Amine Terminated Oligomers.- Functional, Telechelic Polymers Derived from Reactions of Nucleophilic Oligomers and Alkenyl Azlactones, Part II. Multiazlactones Alternatives to Isocyanate and Epoxy Resins.- Functional Polymers Based on p- and m-(Hydroxyphenyl)-2-0xazolines.- Oxazolidone Containing Polymers and Resins.- Poly(Amide-Enamines) Synthesis and Properties.- Grafting and Attachment of Antiplatelet Agents to Poly (Ether Urethanes).- Recent Advances in Anionic Polymerization.- Synthesis of Tactic Poly (Alkyl Methacrylate) Homo and Copolymers.- Synthesis and Characterization of Stereoblock Poly(Methyl Methacrylate).- Anionic Dispersion Polymerization of Styrene.- A New Synthetic Route to Cellulosic Graft Copolymers.- Synthesis and Separation of cis- and trans-3-Ethylproline; Polymerization and Conformational Studies of Polytrans-3-Ethyl-D-Proline.-Synthesis and Properties of Racemic and Optically Active Substituted Poly (?-Propiolactones).- Synthesis and Copolymerization of Epoxy Ether Terminated Polystyrene Macromer.- Some Novel Diene Polymers Prepared with Lanthanide Catalysts.- The Free Radical Polymerizaiton of Some Methacrylates at Very High Conversion.