ABSTRACT
Recent progress in the modification of synthetic rubbers has been observed along several fronts: synthesis, characterization, structure property understanding, and applications. In the synthetic area, new catalysts (e.g., phase transfer) and methods (e.g., selective modifications of block copolymers) have been reported. Reactions on elastomers have also been used to aid polymer characterization. Moreover, structure-property understanding has been refined to appreciate subtle microstructure, tacticity, and sequence effects. Finally, new applications for modified synthetic rubbers have emerged.
