Noncovalent Interactions in Late Transition Metal-Catalyzed Polymerization of Olefins

Transition metal-catalyzed olefin polymerization dominates in the polyolefin field, and we still have limited control over a catalyst's behavior. In addition to traditional steric and electronic modifications, developing new design strategies for transition metal catalysts is highly intriguing and may open avenues for the highly efficient synthesis of new high-performance polyolefins. In this Perspective, recent advances in weak noncovalent interactions including hydrogen bonding, pi-pi interactions, metal-aryl pi-interactions, and electrostatic metal-X interactions (X = heteroatoms) for modulating late transition metal-catalyzed polymerization of olefins are reviewed with an emphasis on their influences on (co)polymerization of olefins. It provides a practical consultation for polymer synthesis chemists that are interested in developing weak noncovalent interaction-assisted polymerization of olefins.