Process for preparing living polymers

Claim 1

Process of polymerizing the monomer selected from the group consisting of CH 2 ═C(Y)X, ##STR23## and mixtures thereof wherein: X is --CN, --CH═CHC(O)X' or --C(O)X'; Y is --H, --CH 3 , --CN or --CO 2 R, provided, however, when X is CH═CHC(O)X', Y is --H or --CH 3 ; X' is --OSi(R 1 ) 3 , --R, --OR or --NR'R"; each R 1 is independently selected from C 1-10 alkyl and C 6-10 aryl or alkaryl; R is C 1-20 alkyl, alkenyl, or alkadienyl; C 6-20 cycloalkyl, aryl, alkaryl or aralkyl; any of said groups containing one or more ether oxygen atoms within aliphatic segments thereof; and any of all the aforesaid groups containing one or more functional substituents that are unreactive under polymerizing conditions; and each of R' and R" is independently selected from C 1-4 alkyl by contacting the one or more monomers under polymerizing conditions with: (i) the initiator of the formula (R 1 ) 3 MZ wherein: R 1 is as defined above; Z is an activating substituent selected from the group consisting of ##STR24## and mixtures thereof wherein: X' is as defined above; each of R 2 and R 3 is independently selected from H; C 1-10 alkyl and alkenyl; C 6-10 aryl, alkaryl, and aralkyl; any of said groups except H containing one or more ether oxygen atoms within aliphatic segments thereof; and any of all the aforesaid groups except H containing one or more functional substituents that are unreactive under polymerizing conditions; and Z' is O or N; m is 2, 3 or 4; n is 3, 4 or 5; and M is Si, Sn, or Ge, provided, however, when Z is ##STR25## M is Sn or Ge; and (ii) a co-catalyst which is a source of bifluoride ions HF 2 31 to produce "living" polymer having repeat units of the one or more monomers.