Abstract
This review summarizes nearly 400 references (since 1990) intended to highlight directions on the synthesis of telechelic oligomers and macromonomers by radical techniques. This review first takes into account the recent developments in further conventional radical polymerizations, such as dead-end polymerization and also telomerization reactions. Among all the conventional radical polymerizations, addition–fragmentation transfer (AFT) polymerization realized a real breakthrough for the synthesis of telechelic oligomers and especially for macromonomers by coupling AFT with catalytic chain transfer. Then, surveys concerning telechelic oligomers and macromonomers prepared by living radical polymerizations are mentioned. Atom transfer radical polymerization, nitroxide-mediated polymerization, reversible addition–fragmentation chain transfer polymerization and also iodine transfer polymerization allow for accurate control of chain-end functionality, either a functional group or a double bond. Novel reactions like radical coupling of oligomers previously obtained by living radical polymerizations are enhanced.