The use of nanoreactors to confine monomers and synthesize polymers results in changes in the reaction kinetics and polymer properties making nanoconfinement a potential tool for manipulating and engineering polymer properties. In this perspective, we cover conventional nanoconfinement hosts, nanopore-confined free radical, step-growth, and ring-opening polymerizations, and changes in molecular weight, tacticity, glass transition temperature (T_g), thermal stability, and electrical properties. We use examples from research in our laboratory, as well as comparisons of the work in the literature, to illustrate the competing forces that drive these changes, namely molecular layering or orientation at the nanopore surface, decreased molecular and segmental diffusion, and catalytic or inhibitory effects caused by chemical moieties on the native or surface-functionalized nanopore surface. The majority of nanoconfined polymerizations are found to be accelerated, and in the case of free radical polymerizations to generally yield higher molecular weights and higher isotacticity. T_gs for the nanoconfined polymers tend to increase if strong interactions exist between the polymer and the confinement surface, but depressions are observed for confined polycyanurates; the importance of removing unreacted monomer and comparing results to the bulk material of same molecular weight and structure is emphasized. Examples are also provided of enhanced thermal stability and conductivity of polymers synthesized under nanoconfinement.

纳米反应器用于限制单体和合成聚合物的使用导致反应动力学和聚合物性质的变化，从而使纳米限制剂成为操纵和工程化聚合物性质的潜在工具。从这个角度讲，我们涵盖了常规的纳米限制主体，纳米孔限制的自由基，逐步增长和开环聚合，以及分子量，立构规整​​度，玻璃化转变温度（T _g），热稳定性和电性能。我们使用实验室研究的实例以及文献中的工作进行比较，以说明驱动这些变化的竞争力，即纳米孔表面的分子分层或取向，分子和节段扩散减少以及催化或抑制作用化学部分对天然或表面官能化的纳米孔表面造成的影响。发现大多数纳米约束聚合被促进，并且在自由基聚合的情况下通常产生更高的分子量和更高的全同立构规整度。Ť _{g ^}如果聚合物与约束表面之间存在强相互作用，则纳米约束聚合物的s趋于增加，但约束聚氰脲酸酯则出现凹陷。强调了去除未反应单体并将结果与​​相同分子量和结构的本体材料进行比较的重要性。还提供了在纳米约束下合成的聚合物的增强的热稳定性和导电性的实例。