Chirality induction in cyclopolymerization. VI. Enantioselective cationic cyclopolymerization of divinyl ethers with chiral 10-camphorsulfonic acid/zinc chloride initiating system

Cyclopolymerization of benzaldehyde divinyl acetal ( 1 ) and 1,2-divinyloxybenzene ( 4 ) was carried out using (+)- or (−)-camphorsulfonic acid [(+)- or (−)- 2 ]/ZnCl₂ initiating system. Polymer 3 obtained from monomer 1 consisted essentially of cyclic repeating units, whereas polymer 5 from 4 possessed a small amount of residual vinyloxy groups. Both polymers 3 and 5 using (+)- 2 /ZnCl₂ showed optical activity with a negative sign of optical rotation. The molar optical rotation values of polymer 3 using ZnCl₂ · OEt₂ were larger than those using ZnCl₂. The CD spectra of the polymer with [Φ] = −30.1° ((−)- 3 ) and (4S,6S)-4,6-dimethyl-2-phenyl-1,3-dioxane showed a negative Cotton effect at 210 nm, whereas the polymer with [Φ] = +24.1° ((+)- 3 ) and (4R,6R)-4,6-dimethyl-2-phenyl-1,3-dioxane had mirror image CD curves with a positive Cotton effect at 210 nm. The absolute configurations of the major chiral cyclic units in (−)- and (+)- 3 were the SS- and RR-forms, respectively. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.