Process for producing polymers having terminal functional group which may be protected

Abstract

A process for producing polymers having terminal functional group which may be protected, comprises polymerizing a radical-polymerizable monomer with a polymerization initiator comprising at least one member selected from the group (A) consisting of thio-S-carboxylic acids represented by the following general formula (1) and dithiocarboxylic acids represented by the following general formula (2) and at least one member selected from the group (B) consisting of polysulfides represented by the following general formula (3), polysulfides represented by the following general formula (4) and sulfoxides:. ##STR1## wherein R.sup.1 represents a hydrocarbon group which may have a substituent including functional group; ##STR2## wherein R.sup.2 represents a hydrocarbon group which may have a substituent including functional group; ##STR3## wherein R.sup.3 and R.sup.4 each represents a hydrocarbon group which may have a substituent including functional group and n is an integer of 2 or more; and R.sup.5 --(S)m-R.sup.6 ( 4) wherein R.sup.5 and R.sup.6 each represents a hydrocarbon group having a functional group and m is an integer of 2 or more. This process can produce polymers with which functional groups have been introduced into one end or both ends thereof; irrespective of the rate of polymerization or the degree of polymerization of the polymer that forms.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.