Well-Defined Side-Chain Ferrocene-Containing Polymers: From Synthesis to Applications

Side-chain ferrocene-containing polymers (FCPs) have attracted a lot of interest due to their excellent redox, electrochemical, and hydrophobic properties. The preparation of well-defined side-chain FCPs (with predetermined molecular weight, low dispersity, and defined topology structure) is one of the preconditions to ensure their high performance. With the development of controlled or “living” polymerization methods, various kinds of well-defined side-chain FCPs have been synthesized for broad application areas. Thus, this review aims to provide a comprehensive overview of synthesis strategies of well-defined side-chain FCPs by using controlled or “living” methods comprising anionic polymerization, ATRP, and RAFT polymerization. Subsequently, applications of these well-defined side-chain FCPs in smart surfaces, self-assembled micelles, carbon nanotube dispersants, catalysis, ion separation, and as precursors for functional nanoparticles are summarized in detail. Finally, our perspectives on the opportunities and challenges of well-defined side-chain FCPs are presented.