A method of making a methylene beta-ketoester monomer comprising: a) reacting a beta-ketoester reactant having the structural formula: with a source of formaldehyde at a reaction temperature of 60 °C to 130 °C, to form a reaction complex including an oligomeric complex having oligomers of 2-12 units; b) subsequently heating the reaction complex to a temperature between 150 °C and 300 °C, and depolymerizing the oligomers to provide the methylene beta-ketoester monomer; and c) isolating the methylene beta-ketoester monomer from the reaction complex, wherein the methylene beta-ketoester monomer has the structural formula: wherein each instance of R 1 and R 2 are independently C 1 -C 15 alkyl, C 2 -C 15 alkenyl, halo-(C 1 -C 15 alkyl), C 3 -C 6 cycloalkyl, halo-(C 3 -C 6 cycloalkyl), heterocyclyl, heterocyclyl-(C 1 -C 15 alkyl), aryl, aryl-(C1-C15 alkyl), heteroaryl or heteroaryl-(C 1 -C 15 alkyl), or alkoxy -(Cl-15 alkyl), each of which may be optionally substituted by C 1 -C 15 alkyl, halo-(C 1 -C 15 alkyl), C 3 -C 6 cycloalkyl, halo-(C 3 -C 6 cycloalkyl), heterocyclyl, heterocyclyl-(C 1 -C 15 alkyl), aryl, aryl -(C 1 -C 15 alkyl), heteroaryl, C 1 -C 15 alkoxy, C 1 -C 15 alkylthio, hydroxyl, nitro, azido, cyano, acyloxy, carboxy, or ester; or wherein R 1 and R 2 are taken together with the atoms to which they are bound to form a 5-7 membered heterocyclic ring which may be optionally substituted by C 1 -C 15 alkyl, halo-(C 1 -C 15 alkyl), C 3 -C 6 cycloalkyl, halo-(C 3 -C 6 cycloalkyl), heterocyclyl, heterocyclyl-(C 1 -C 15 alkyl), aryl, aryl -(C 1 -C 15 alkyl), heteroaryl, C 1 -C 15 alkoxy, C 1 -C 15 alkylthio, hydroxyl, nitro, azido, cyano, acyloxy, carboxy, or ester. a) reacting a beta-ketoester reactant having the structural formula: with a source of formaldehyde at a reaction temperature of 60 °C to 130 °C, to form a reaction complex including an oligomeric complex having oligomers of 2-12 units; b) subsequently heating the reaction complex to a temperature between 150 °C and 300 °C, and depolymerizing the oligomers to provide the methylene beta-ketoester monomer; and c) isolating the methylene beta-ketoester monomer from the reaction complex, wherein the methylene beta-ketoester monomer has the structural formula: wherein each instance of R 1 and R 2 are independently C 1 -C 15 alkyl, C 2 -C 15 alkenyl, halo-(C 1 -C 15 alkyl), C 3 -C 6 cycloalkyl, halo-(C 3 -C 6 cycloalkyl), heterocyclyl, heterocyclyl-(C 1 -C 15 alkyl), aryl, aryl-(C1-C15 alkyl), heteroaryl or heteroaryl-(C 1 -C 15 alkyl), or alkoxy -(Cl-15 alkyl), each of which may be optionally substituted by C 1 -C 15 alkyl, halo-(C 1 -C 15 alkyl), C 3 -C 6 cycloalkyl, halo-(C 3 -C 6 cycloalkyl), heterocyclyl, heterocyclyl-(C 1 -C 15 alkyl), aryl, aryl -(C 1 -C 15 alkyl), heteroaryl, C 1 -C 15 alkoxy, C 1 -C 15 alkylthio, hydroxyl, nitro, azido, cyano, acyloxy, carboxy, or ester; or wherein R 1 and R 2 are taken together with the atoms to which they are bound to form a 5-7 membered heterocyclic ring which may be optionally substituted by C 1 -C 15 alkyl, halo-(C 1 -C 15 alkyl), C 3 -C 6 cycloalkyl, halo-(C 3 -C 6 cycloalkyl), heterocyclyl, heterocyclyl-(C 1 -C 15 alkyl), aryl, aryl -(C 1 -C 15 alkyl), heteroaryl, C 1 -C 15 alkoxy, C 1 -C 15 alkylthio, hydroxyl, nitro, azido, cyano, acyloxy, carboxy, or ester. wherein each instance of R 1 and R 2 are independently C 1 -C 15 alkyl, C 2 -C 15 alkenyl, halo-(C 1 -C 15 alkyl), C 3 -C 6 cycloalkyl, halo-(C 3 -C 6 cycloalkyl), heterocyclyl, heterocyclyl-(C 1 -C 15 alkyl), aryl, aryl-(C1-C15 alkyl), heteroaryl or heteroaryl-(C 1 -C 15 alkyl), or alkoxy -(Cl-15 alkyl), each of which may be optionally substituted by C 1 -C 15 alkyl, halo-(C 1 -C 15 alkyl), C 3 -C 6 cycloalkyl, halo-(C 3 -C 6 cycloalkyl), heterocyclyl, heterocyclyl-(C 1 -C 15 alkyl), aryl, aryl -(C 1 -C 15 alkyl), heteroaryl, C 1 -C 15 alkoxy, C 1 -C 15 alkylthio, hydroxyl, nitro, azido, cyano, acyloxy, carboxy, or ester; or wherein R 1 and R 2 are taken together with the atoms to which they are bound to form a 5-7 membered heterocyclic ring which may be optionally substituted by C 1 -C 15 alkyl, halo-(C 1 -C 15 alkyl), C 3 -C 6 cycloalkyl, halo-(C 3 -C 6 cycloalkyl), heterocyclyl, heterocyclyl-(C 1 -C 15 alkyl), aryl, aryl -(C 1 -C 15 alkyl), heteroaryl, C 1 -C 15 alkoxy, C 1 -C 15 alkylthio, hydroxyl, nitro, azido, cyano, acyloxy, carboxy, or ester.