Synthesis of copolymers of ethylene and (meth)acrylates or styrene by an original dual radical/catalytic mechanism

Neutral Ni-II complexes, classically used for catalytic ethylene polymerization, can play an additional role as radical initiators of the homo- and copolymerizations of (meth)acrylates and styrene. Benefiting from this duality, the copolymerization of ethylene and various (meth)acrylates or styrene was successfully performed. Multiblock copolymers containing sequences of both ethylene and (meth)acrylates were prepared for the first time from an original dual radical/catalytic mechanism.