DFT calculations disclosed that the stereoselectivity of Sc-catalysed polymerization of halogenated styrenes could be co-regulated via C–H⋯π interactions between a coordinating THF and the phenyl ring of a monomer. Such a regulatory mechanism was theoretically confirmed by further studying the polymerization of various monomers, where the stereoselectivity could even shift from syndiotacticity to isotacticity.
16 June 2025 in Journal of the American Chemical Society