Microwave-assisted cationic ring-opening polymerization of 2-oxazolines

More than any other polymer class, the synthesis of (co-)poly (2-oxazoline)s has benefited tremendously from the introduction of microwave reactors into chemical laboratories. This review focuses on research activities in the area of (co-)poly(2-oxazoline)s prepared by microwave-assisted syntheses and summarizes the current state-of-the-art for microwave-assisted syntheses of 2-oxazoline monomers, microwave-assisted ring-opening (co-)polymerizations of 2-oxazolines, and prominent examples of post-polymerization modifications of (co-)poly(2-oxazoline)s. Special attention is paid to kinetic analyses of the microwave-assisted polymerization of 2-oxazolines and to the discussion of non-thermal microwave effects.