Helical polymer was a polymer that had special application in asymmetric fields

can be used for the separation of enantiomers

asymmetric catalysis and asymmetric optical fields

etc. The synthesis of helical polymer has been the research focus of the synthetic polymer science. Free radical polymerization with many advantages has attracted much attention in synthesis of helical polymer

but there are few successful examples because of defects of the free radical polymerization. In this paper

the defects of free radical helix polymerization are discussed

various methods are summarized and introduced including chiral monomers

free radical polymerization

the chiral initiator polymerization

chiral chain transfer polymerization

chiral template controling polymerization and chiral solvent polymerization

etc. Moreover

the future study prospect were proposed.