Lithium diisopropylamide (LDA) induced metalation reaction of styrenes with para substituents such as 4-methylstyrene (MST), 4-[(trimethylsilyl)methyl]styrene (SMS), and 4-[(dimethylamino)methyl]styrene (AMS) to form vinylbenzyllithium (VBL) derivatives. VBL derivatives initiated isomerization polymerizations to form oligomers with a polymerizable vinyl end and with functional groups such as amino groups and trimethylsilyl groups in the side chain. Cooligomerization of the 4-substituted styrenes gave macromonomers with a predicted extent of functional groups in the side chain.