Syntheses of monodispersed methyl methacrylate oligomers via organolanthanide complexes and introduction of hydroxyl groups into the oligomer

Abstract
Methyl methacrylate (MMA) oligomers (Mn ≃ 2500) with a narrow molecular weight distribution (Mw/Mn>1.10) were synthesized by using a Cp*2SmMe(THF) initiator (Co=η −C). The oligomerization proceeds via a samarium enolate as the propagating species and the reaction of the living oligomer with p‐tolualdehyde produced p‐tolyl hydroxymethyl‐terminated oligoMMA.