Organoinorganic sulfonated polymers - Review

Polyphosphazenes and metal phosphonates have offered better opportunities than other organoinorganic polymers as starting polymers for the synthesis of sulfonated derivatives. Sulfonated organic polymers are well established in many technological applications and are covered by several literature reviews. Organoinorganic sulfonated polymers are rather new and have never been considered as a self-standing class. Yet since ion-containing polymers and organoinorganic polymers are expanding research fields, organoinorganic sulfonated polymers are likely to attain more attention in the future. The present review therefore covers the synthesis, structure, and properties of sulfonated polyphosphazenes and sulfonated metal phosphonates, in order to indicate what may be expected from organoinorganic polymers functionalized in this fashion.