| Abstract: | Unprotected exo,exo‐5‐norbornene‐2,3‐dicarboxylic acid and exo,exo‐7‐oxa‐5‐norbornene‐2,3‐dicarboxylic acid were polymerized via ring‐opening metathesis polymerization. This reaction yielded polymers with molecular weights (Mn from GPC) ranging from 31 to 242 kg/mol and polydispersity indices between 1.05 and 1.12, using Grubbs' third generation catalyst. The water solubility as a function of pH value of the polymers was investigated by dynamic light scattering (DLS). DLS and acid‐base titration revealed that the oxanorbornene polymer was water soluble over a wider pH range than its norbornene analog. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 47: 1266–1273, 2009 |
