A polymerizable compound has a practical low melting point, excellent solubility in a general-purpose solvent, and can produce an optical film at low cost, exhibits low reflected luminance, and achieves uniform conversion of polarized light over a wide wavelength band, an optically anisotropic article. A carbonyl compound is useful as a raw material for producing the polymerizable compound. (In the formula (I), Y.sup.1 to Y.sup.8 represent C(O)O, G.sup.1 and G.sup.2 represent a C.sub.1-20 divalent linear aliphatic group, Z.sup.1 and Z.sup.2 represent a C.sub.2-10 alkenyl group that is unsubstituted, or substituted with a halogen atom, A.sup.x represents a C.sub.2-30 organic group with at least one aromatic ring, A.sup.y represents a hydrogen atom or C.sub.1-20 alkyl group, A.sup.1 represents a trivalent aromatic group, A.sup.2 and A.sup.3 represent a C.sub.3-30 divalent alicyclic hydrocarbon group, A.sup.4 and A.sup.5 represent a C.sub.6-30 divalent aromatic group or the like, and Q.sup.1 represents a hydrogen atom.) ##STR00001##

The present invention relates to a method for preparing a polymer composition, said method comprising the steps of: a) preparing a reaction mixture comprising as component A) an ethylenically unsaturated monomer or a mixture of ethylenically unsaturated monomers and as component B) a 1-alkene or a mixture of 1-alkenes; b) adding a Co(II) complex as a catalytic chain transfer agent to the reaction mixture; c) adding a radical initiator; and d) reacting the reaction mixture to obtain the polymer composition, wherein the total amount of the radical initiator added to the reaction mixture is at least 0.05% by weight relative to the total weight of components A) and B). The present invention also relates to the use of a Co(II) complex as catalytic chain transfer agent for the polymerization of a reaction mixture comprising an ethylenically unsaturated monomer or a mixture of ethylenically unsaturated monomers, a radical initiator, and a 1-alkene or a mixture of 1-alkenes, wherein the total amount of the radical initiator added to the reaction mixture is at least 0.05% by weight relative to the total weight of the ethylenically unsaturated monomer or mixture of ethylenically unsaturated monomers and the 1-alkene or mixture of 1-alkenes.

The present invention relates to a method for preparing a polymer composition, said method comprising the steps of: a) preparing a reaction mixture comprising as component A) an ethylenically unsaturated monomer or a mixture of ethylenically unsaturated monomers and as component B) a 1-alkene or a mixture of 1-alkenes; b) adding a Co(II) complex as a catalytic chain transfer agent to the reaction mixture; c) adding a radical initiator; and d) reacting the reaction mixture to obtain the polymer composition, wherein the total amount of the radical initiator added to the reaction mixture is at least 0.05% by weight relative to the total weight of components A) and B). The present invention also relates to the use of a Co(II) complex as catalytic chain transfer agent for the polymerization of a reaction mixture comprising an ethylenically unsaturated monomer or a mixture of ethylenically unsaturated monomers, a radical initiator, and a 1-alkene or a mixture of 1-alkenes, wherein the total amount of the radical initiator added to the reaction mixture is at least 0.05% by weight relative to the total weight of the ethylenically unsaturated monomer or mixture of ethylenically unsaturated monomers and the 1-alkene or mixture of 1-alkenes.

The present invention provides multifunctional monomers, including, but not limited to include multifunctional methylene malonate and methylene beta-ketoester monomers; methods for producing the same; and compositions and products formed therefrom. The multifunctional monomers of the invention may be produced by transesterification or by direct synthesis from monofunctional methylene malonate monomers or methylene beta-ketoester monomers. The present invention further compositions and products formed from methylene beta-ketoester monomers of the invention, including monomer-based products (e.g., inks, adhesives, coatings, sealants or reactive molding) and polymer-based products (e.g., fibers, films, sheets, medical polymers, composite polymers and surfactants).