Polymerization of 5-Substituted Cyclooctenes with Tungsten and Molybdenum Catalysts

Polymerizations of cyclooctene, 5-methyl, 5-chloro-, and 5-methoxycyclooctenes were studied. Cyclooctene (CO) and 5-methylcyclooctene (MCO) provided high polymers in 80% yield with the use of WCl₆/AlEti._B Cl_u5 or WCl₆/AlEtCl₂ catalyst. 5-Chlorocyclooctene gave oligomer in 50% yield with WCl₆/AlEt₂Cl catalyst. Neither polymer nor oligomer was produced from 5-methoxycyclooctene. These polymers were found to be produced through a ring-opening mechanism. The ratio of cis to trans structure in poly(CO) and poly(MCO) was determined by measurements of the decoupled ′H-NMR spectrum. Poly(CO) containing more than 50% trans structure was a crystalline solid at room temperature, while the polymer containing 30% of trans structure did not crystallize at room temperature. Poly(MCO) was amorphous, regardless of the content of trans structure. Poly(CO) and poly(MCO) obtained with MoCU/AlEtaCl or MoCU/AlEtCb catalyst contained no carbon-carbon double bond, and a vinyl polymerization mechanism was expected for this system.