Heterocyclic bifunctional monomers in the synthesis of polymers

One of the variations of activated polycondensation, the "active ring" method is reviewed. The method consists essentially of the reaction of bis- and polyfunctional nucleophiles with monomers containing various heterocycles (three-, four-, five- and six-membered rings) as the electrophilic functional groups. Polyaddition reactions in which the heterocycle is opened are examined. It is demonstrated that many of the discussed reactions are promising for the synthesis of functionalised polymers that are often unattainable using traditional polycondensation methods. The bibliography includes 139 references.