Alternating and non-alternating Pd-catalysed Co- and terpolymerisation of carbon monoxide and alkenes

The co- and terpolymerisation of carbon monoxide and alkenes are usually catalysed by palladium complexes, and the properties of the produced polyketones can be finely tuned by an appropriate choice of catalyst and olefinic monomer. After a general overview of the topic, selected recent advances in this field are described. The use of palladium systems containing modified diphosphane and/or new phosphorus-based ligands, and the results obtained using a series of modular N and S ligands, including chiral ligands, in CO/styrene co- and terpolymerisations are reported. The use of new P-O ligands in non-alternating CO/ethene copolymerisation is also described.