Enhanced livingness of polymerization using silylated oxyanions

A process of preparing a "living" polymer comprising contacting under polymerization conditions at least one polar acrylic-type alpha olefinic monomer with (i) a tetracoordinate organosilicon, organotin, or organogermanium polymerization initiator having at least one activating substituent or activating diradical attached thereto and optionally having one or more substituents that are inert under polymerizing conditions, (ii) a catalyst which is a salt comprising an oxyanion or bioxyanion whose conjugate acid has a pKa(DMSO) of about 5 to about 24, and a suitable cation.

• characterized by also contacting with (iii) a polymerization livingness enhancement agent which is selected from the group consisting of o-silylated ester or ether modification of an oxyanion compound whose conjugate acid has a pKa (DMSO) of about 5 to 24, which is not a polymerization initiator, having no activating substituent or activating diradical attached thereto, containing at least one equivalent of R.sub.3 Si-group per mole of said compound, wherein R is hydrocarbyl of up to 20 carbon atoms, optionally containing one or more ether oxygen atoms within aliphatic segments thereof, and optionally containing one or more functional substituents that are unreactive under polymerizing conditions.