The Practical Approach in Chemistry Series / Oxford N.Y. : University press, 2004. – 248 (437) p.It is some time since Laurence Harwood suggested to me the idea of this volume of the Practical Approach in Organic Chemistry series, and whilst initially I could see the value of such a contribution, as the subsequent delay in production testifies, I have had some difficulty in transposing this topic to a relatively small text. There are many scientific publications devoted entirely to the area of polymer synthesis, with tens of thousand pages devoted to the topic in the scientific literature every year I have focused on those aspects of the topic which I find interesting, and consequently there are certainly many omissions. I hope, however, that the examples I have included will give a flavour of what can be achieved (generally without recourse to highly spe-cialized equipment) in terms of the development of novel macromolecular systems. As with all the volumes in the Practical Approach Series, this book aims to provide a detailed and accessible laboratory guide suitable for those new to the area of polymer synthesis. The protocols contained within this manuscript provide information about solvent purification, equipment and reaction conditions, and list some potential problems and hazards. The latter point is particularly important and in most instances I have referred to the manufacturers' safety data sheet (MSDS, which companies such as Merck and Aldrich provide on-line); however, often these vary in detail from source-to-source and from time-to-time, and of course local rules always must take precedance.Polymer characterization.
General procedures in chain-growth polymerization.
Controlled/'living' polymerization methods.
Step-growth polymerization - basics and development of new materials.
The formation of cyclic oligomers during step-growth polymerization.
The synthesis of conducting polymers based on heterocyclic compounds.
Some examples of dendrimer synthesis.
New methodologies in the preparation of imprinted polymers.
Liquid crystalline polymers.
