Investigation of the microstructure of metallocene-catalyzed norbornene–ethylene copolymers using NMR spectroscopy

Norbornene–ethylene copolymers were prepared using the metallocene catalyst ethylene bis (indenyl) zirconium dichloride with MAO, and their microstructure was characterized with ¹H-NMR and ¹³C-NMR methods. From a Cosy ¹H-NMR spectrum it was found that all norbornene units are enchained in the exo-configuration. The sequence distribution of norbornene units was investigated using ¹³C-¹H correlations, hmqc for one-bond correlations, and hmbc for two- or three-bond correlations. It was shown that norbornene diads were formed at a high norbornene content (45 mol %). When further increasing the norbornene incorporation (66 mol %) a number of new signals were obtained. A Cosy ¹H-NMR spectrum revealed a new crosspeak which, according to the corresponding ¹³C-NMR shifts (hmqc), correlated well with a terminal unit of a trimer of norbornene. This means that at very high norbornene contents, norbornene triads can be formed. Because the formation of isotactic norbornene triads is very difficult to understand from a sterical point of view, an epimerization process causing stereoirregularities in the norbornene triad is proposed. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 36: 1633–1638, 1998     

High norbornene incorporation in ethylene-norbornene copolymerization with a bis(α-alkyloxoimine) titanium-MAO catalyst

A novel bis(α-alkyloxoimine) titanium(IV) complex was synthesized and used as a catalyst precursor to catalyze homo- and copolymerization of ethylene and norbornene. The titanium complex activated with methylalumoxane exhibits good activities for the homopolymerizations of ethylene and norbornene under high temperature to produce high-molecular-weight linear polyethylene and vinyl-type polynorbornene, respectively. Ethylene-norbornene copolymers with high molecular weight can also be produced by this catalyst. The incorporation of norbornene from 0 to 76 mol% in the copolymers can be controlled by varying the charged norbornene. ¹³C NMR analyses show that the microstructures of the ethylene-norbornene copolymers with low norbornene incorporation are predominantly alternated and isolated norbornene units, while those with high norbornene incorporation are random polymers containing long norbornene sequences.     

Homo‐ and copolymerization of ethylene and norbornene with bis(β‐diketiminato) titanium complexes activated with methylaluminoxane

Homo‐ and copolymerization of ethylene and norbornene were investigated with bis(β‐diketiminato) titanium complexes [ArNC(CR₃)CHC(CR₃)NAr]₂TiCl₂ (R = F, Ar = 2,6‐diisopropylphenyl 2a; R = F, Ar = 2,6‐dimethylphenyl 2b ; R = H, Ar = 2,6‐diisopropylphenyl 2c ; R = H, Ar = 2,6‐dimethylphenyl 2d) in the presence of methylaluminoxane (MAO). The influence of steric and electric effects of complexes on catalytic activity was evaluated. With MAO as cocatalyst, complexes 2a–d are moderately active catalysts for ethylene polymerization producing high‐molecular weight polyethylenes bearing linear structures, but low active catalysts for norbornene polymerization. Moreover, 2a – d are also active ethylene–norbornene (E–N) copolymerization catalysts. The incorporation of norbornene in the E–N copolymer could be controlled by varying the charged norbornene. ¹³C NMR analyses showed the microstructures of the E–N copolymers were predominantly alternated and isolated norbornene units in copolymer, dyad, and triad sequences of norbornene were detected in the E–N copolymers with high incorporated content of norbornene. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 46: 93–101, 2008     

Homo‐ and copolymerization of norbornene with styrene catalyzed by a series of copper(II) complexes in the presence of methylaluminoxane

Vinyl‐type polymerization of norbornene as well as random copolymerization of norbornene with styrene was studied using a series of copper complexes‐MAO. The precatalysts used here are copper complexes with β‐ketoamine ligands based on pyrazolone derivatives and the molecular structure of complex 4 was determined using X‐ray analysis. All of these catalyst systems are moderately active for the vinyl‐type polymerization of norbornene and random copolymerization of norbornene with styrene. The random copolymers obtained suggest that only one type of active species is present. Gel permeation chromatography (GPC) and NMR indicate that the copolymers are ‘true’ copolymers. The copolymerization reactivity ratios (r_NBE = 20.11 and r_Sty = 0.035) indicate a much higher reactivity of norbornene, which suggests a coordination polymerization mechanism. The solubility and processability of the copolymers are improved relative to polynorbornene and the thermostability of the copolymers is improved relative to polystyrene. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Living copolymerization of ethylene with norbornene mediated by heteroligated (Salicylaldiminato)(β‐enaminoketonato)titanium catalysts

Three heteroligated (salicylaldiminato)(β‐enaminoketonato)titanium complexes [3‐Bu^t‐2‐OC₆H₃CH?N(C₆F₅)][(p‐XC₆H₄)N?C(Bu^t)CHC(CF₃)O]TiCl₂ ( 3a : X = F, 3b : X = Cl, 3c : X = Br) were synthesized and investigated as the catalysts for ethylene polymerization and ethylene/norbornene copolymerization. In the presence of modified methylaluminoxane as a cocatalyst, these unsymmetric catalysts exhibited high activities toward ethylene polymerization, similar to their parallel parent catalysts. Furthermore, they also displayed favorable ability to efficiently incorporate norbornene into the polymer chains and produce high molecular weight copolymers under the mild conditions, though the copolymerization of ethylene with norbornene leads to relatively lower activities. The sterically open structure of the β‐enaminoketonato ligand is responsible for the high norbornene incorporation. The norbornene concentration in the polymerization medium had a profound influence on the molecular weight distribution of the resulting copolymer. When the norbornene concentration in the feed is higher than 0.4 mol/L, the heteroligated catalysts mediated the living copolymerization of ethylene with norbornene to form narrow molecular weight distribution copolymers (M_w/M_n < 1.20), which suggested that chain termination or transfer reaction could be efficiently suppressed via the addition of norbornene into the reaction medium. Polymer yields, catalytic activity, molecular weight, and norbornene incorporation can be controlled within a wide range by the variation of the reaction parameters such as comonomer content in the feed, reaction time, and temperature. ©2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 47: 6072–6082, 2009     

Synthesis and structural characterization of ethylene–norbornene copolymer with high norbornene content catalyzed by β-diketiminato nickel/methylaluminoxane

Ethylene–norbornene (E–N) copolymerizations were carried out by using β-diketiminato nickel complexes CH{C(CF₃)NAr}₂NiBr (Ar = 2,6-ⁱPr₂C₆H₃, 1; Ar = 2,6-Me₂C₆H₃, 2) in the presence of methylaluminoxane (MAO). Complex 1 bearing bulky isopropyl ortho substituents showed higher activity than 2 for the E–N copolymerization. The activity of the catalytic systems increased with increasing the feed ratio of norbornene/ethylene (N/E), and gave the E–N copolymers with high norbornene content more than 75 mol%. In the microstructures of copolymers generated with the catalytic systems, norbornene microblocks with a length of two or three norbornene units have been detected. Results have shown that the activity and the content of norbornene in copolymer depend on the N/E feed ratio.     

Cobalt-catalyzed cyclotrimerization of diynes with norbornenes in one efficient step

An efficient cobalt-catalyzed [2+2+2] cyclotrimerization of diynes and norbornene is described. Treatment of diyne with norbornene in the presence of CoI₂(PPh₃)₂ and zinc powder in 1,2-dichloroethane at 80 °C for 12 h afforded [2+2+2] cyclotrimerization adduct exclusively in good yields. These cobalt-catalyzed results are in contrast to the ruthenium-catalyzed reaction of diyne with norbornene reported previously.     

Polyolefins with high glass transition temperatures

The copolymerization of propene and norbornene with the isospecific metallocene catalyst dimethylsilylenebis(η⁵-inden-1-yl)zirconium dichloride/methylaluminoxane ((CH₃)₂Si[Ind]₂ZrCl₂/MAO) was investigated. Because of the surprisingly high reactivity of the cyclic olefin copolymers with a norbornene content of 11 mol-% up to 98 mol-% were synthesized. The resulting copolymers are amorphous. The glass transition temperatures studied by differential scanning calorimetry measurements increase with rising norbornene content in the copolymer. High glass transition temperatures of T_g > 240°C were found for the copolymers with the highest content of norbornene.     

THE [4 + 2]CYCLOADDITION REACTIONS OF AROMATIC THIONES WITH MALEIC ANHYDRIDE,NORBORNENE, AND NORBORNADIENE

Abstract

The reactions of aryl 1-naphthyl thiones and aryl 2-naphthyl thiones with maleic anhydride, norbornene, and norbornadiene gave the 1,4-cycloadducts containing 3,4-dihydro-2 H-thiopyran rings. 7H-Benz[de]anthracene-7-thione also reacted with norbornene and norbornadiene to give similar 1,4-cycloadducts. In the reaction of aryl phenyl thiones with norbornene, initially formed cycloadducts rearranged to aromatized compounds.

In these reactions, the aromatic thiones reacted with the olefins as a heterodiene system.     

Ethylene‐Norbornene Terpolymerization with 5‐Vinyl‐2‐norbornene Using Single‐Site Catalysts

The incorporation of 5‐vinyl‐2‐norbornene (VNB) into ethylene‐norbornene copolymer was investigated with catalysts [Ph₂C(Fluo)(Cp)]ZrCl₂ ( 1 ), rac‐[Et(Ind)₂]ZrCl₂ ( 2 ), and [Me₂Si(Me₄Cp)^tBuN]TiCl₂ ( 3 ) in the presence of MAO by terpolymerizing different amounts of 5‐vinyl‐2‐norbornene with constant amounts of ethylene and norbornene at 60°C. The highest cycloolefin incorporations and highest activity in terpolymerizations were achieved with 1 . The distribution of the monomers in the terpolymer chain was determined by NMR spectroscopy. As confirmed by XRD and DSC analysis, catalysts 1 and 3 produced amorphous terpolymer, whereas 2 yielded terpolymer with crystalline fragments of long ethylene sequences. When compared with poly‐(ethylene‐co‐norbornene), VNB increased both the glass transition temperatures and molar masses of terpolymers produced with the constrained geometry catalyst whereas decreased those for the metallocenes.     

Synthesis and palladium‐catalyzed addition polymerization of norbornene carrying epoxy moiety

A norbornene monomer carrying epoxy moiety 1 was successfully synthesized from 5‐norbornene‐2‐carbardehyde by treating it with thioylide. With using a catalytic system consisted of palladium (II) acetate/tricyclohexylphosphine/triphenylcarbenium tetrakis(pentafluorophenyl)borate, homopolymerizations and copolymerization of 1 and 5‐butyl‐2‐norbornene (BNB) were examined. The homopolymerization of 1 was slower than that of BNB presumably due to coordination of the epoxy moiety to the palladium‐center in competition with the C? C double bond of norbornene. This deceleration became less significant in the copolymerizations with low initial feed ratios [ 1 ]₀/[BNB]₀, leading to successful formation of the corresponding copolymers having a rigid poly(norbornene) main chain and epoxy moiety in the side chains, of which composition ratios agreed with the feed ratios. Influence of the epoxy moiety of 1 on its Pd‐catalyzed addition polymerization was elucidated by studying the homopolymerization of BNB in the presence of 1,2‐epoxyhexane. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 47: 3982–3989, 2009     

Pd(II)-catalyzed vinylic polymerization of norbornene and copolymerization with norbornene and copolymerization with norbornene carboxylic acid esters

The vinylic polymerization of norbornene and its copolymerization with norbornene carboxylic acid methyl esters were investigated. Norbornene was polymerized by us using di-μ-chloro-bis-(6-methoxybicyclo[2.2.1]hept-2-ene-endo-5σ,2π)-palladium(II) as catalyst. The polymerization time can be decreased by a factor of 100000 by activation of the catalyst with methylaluminoxane (MAO). With this palladium catalyst activated by MAO, 140 t of norbornene can be polymerized per mol palladium per h. This catalyst system was much more active than [Pd(CH₃CN)₄](BF₄)₂ ( I ). The polymerization of norbornene by (6-methoxybicyclo[2.2.1]hept-2-ene-endo-5σ,2π)-palladium(II) tetrafluoroborate was also possible but it was not as fast as the polymerization by Pd catalysts activated with MAO. We were also able to obtain copolymers of norbornene and 5-norbornene-2-carboxylic acid methyl ester (exo/endo = 1/4 or 2/3) containing between 15 and 20 mol-% ester units. The copolymerization of norbornene and 2-methyl-5-norbornene-2-carboxylic acid methyl ester (exo/endo = 7/3) was faster than the copolymerization mentioned before. In contrast the homopolymerization of 2-methyl-5-norbornene-2-carboxylic acid methyl ester was 10 times slower than that of 5-norbornene-2-carboxylic acid methyl ester (exo/endo = 1/4).     

Stereo- and regioselective cycloaddition of norbornene to 2,4,9-triazidopyridine

4-(3-Azatricyclo[3.2.1.0]oct-3-yl)-2,6-diazido-3,5-dicyanopyridine has been obtained by the reaction of 2,4,6-triazido-3,5-dicyanopyridine with an equimolar quantity of norbornene. The product reacted readily at room temperature with an excess of norbornene giving the corresponding trisazatricyclooctane cycloadduct. An analogous trisadduct was obtained in the reaction of 4-(3-azatricyclo[3.2.1.0]oct-3-yl)-1,6-diazido-3-chloro-5-cyanopyridine with norbornene on boiling in CCl₄, and also in ether at room temperature in the presence of the complexes Rh₂(OAc)₄ and Cu(AcAc)₂. The cycloaddition proceeds stereoselectively in all cases with the exclusive formation of exo-conformers. Calculations have been carried out using the PM3 and RHF/3-21G^* methods on 2,4,6-triazido-3-chloro-5-cyanopyridine and on 2,4,6-triazido-3,5-dicyanopyridine and also on the cycloadducts of these compounds with one or two molecules of norbornene. It was established that the addition of norbornene at the azide groups of pyridine is a dipole-LUMO controlled type of reaction and leads to the formation of cycloadducts having higher LUMO energy than the initial azides. The energy of the LUMO is increased to a lesser extent as a result of the addition of norbornene to a triazide containing identical substituents in the β positions of the pyridine ring, and is due to the special features of the symmetry of the LUMO of the cycloadducts formed. Institute of Chemical Physics in Chernogolovka, Russian Academy of Sciences, Chernogolovka 142432. Translated from Khimiya Geterotsiklicheskikh Soedinenii, No. 11, pp. 1521–1532, November, 1997.     

Copolymerization of ethene with cyclic and other sterically hindered olefins

Sterically hindered olefins like norbornene, dimethanooctahydronaphthalene (DMON), 4‐methylpentene, and 3‐methylbutene can be copolymerised with ethene by metallocene/MAO catalysts. Different C₂‐, C_s‐ and C₁‐symmetric and meso‐zirconocenes were used. Only isolated and alternating norbornene sequences but no norbornene blocks are formed by substituted [Me₂C(Cp‐R)(Flu)]ZrCl₂ catalysts. The alternating microstructure leads to melting points up to 270°C for ethene‐norbornene copolymers and up to 380°C for the semi‐crystalline alternating copolymer of ethene and DMON. Other sterically hindered olefins such as 3‐methylpentene build more blocky structures with high glass transition temperatures. The mechanism for the insertion reaction of the different catalysts is discussed.     

Effect of substituents on addition polymerization of norbornene derivatives with two Me3Si-groups using Ni(II)/MAO catalyst

Addition polymerization and copolymerization of bis(Me₃Si)-substituted norbornene-type monomers such as 5,5-bis(trimethylsilyl)norbornene-2, 2,3-bis(trimethylsilyl)norbornadiene-2,5 and 3,4-bis(trimethylsilyl)tricyclo[4.2.1.0^2,5]nonene-7, in the presence of Ni(II) naphtenate/MAO catalyst were studied. Disubstituted norbornene and norbornadiene were found to be practically inactive in homopolymerization. On the other hand, their copolymerization with norbornene proceeded with moderate yields of copolymers containing predominantly norbornene units. Under studied reaction conditions 2,3-bis(trimethylsilyl)norbornadiene-2,5 was transformed into the only exo-trans-exo-dimer as a result of the [2+2]-cyclodimerization reaction. Moving Me₃Si-substituents one carbon atom away from norbornene double bond made 3,4-bis(trimethylsilyl)tricyclo[4.2.1.0^2,5]nonene-7 active in homopolymerization and allowed to obtain addition homo-polymer with two Me₃Si-substituents in each elementary unit. The reaction mechanism and steric effect of Me₃Si-substituents are also discussed.     

Catalytic Synthesis of a Monodisperse Olefin Block Copolymer Using a Living Polymerization System

Polymerization of norbornene has been conducted with [t‐BuNSiMe₂(3,6‐t‐Bu₂Flu)]TiMe₂ ( 1 ) in toluene at 20 °C using modified methylaluminoxane that contained 0.4 mol‐% of triisobutylaluminium (TIBA) (dMMAO(0.4)) or 1.8 mol‐% of TIBA (dMMAO(1.8)). The 1 ‐dMMAO(0.4) catalytic system undergoes a living polymerization of norbornene. The catalysis of norbornene and propylene with the 1 ‐dMMAO(1.8) catalytic system gives markedly different results because of differences in transfer times of the polymers from Ti to TIBA. The successive addition of norbornene and propylene before the complete consumption of the norbornene in the 1 ‐dMMAO(1.8) system gives monodisperse PNB‐block‐poly(propylene‐ran‐norbornene)‐block‐PP terminated with a Ti–PP bond, which is exchanged with TIBA. Hence the repeated addition of the same amount of norbornene and propylene realizes the catalytic synthesis of monodisperse block copolymer in this system.

     

Appreciable norbornene incorporation in the copolymerization of ethylene/norbornene using titanium catalysts containing trianionic N[CH2CH(Ph)O]33− ligands

The newly synthesized 1‐TiCl (C₃ symmetric) and 2‐TiCl (C_s symmetric) precatalysts in combination with MAO polymerized ethylene, cyclic olefins, and copolymerized ethylene/norbornene in good yields. The catalyst with C₃ symmetry exhibits moderate catalytic activity and efficient norbornene incorporation for E/NBE copolymerization in the presence of MAO [activity = 360 kg polymer/(mol Ti h), ethylene 1 atm, NBE 5 mmol/mL, 10 min], affording poly(ethylene‐co‐NBE)s with high norbornene contents (42.0%) and the C_s symmetric catalyst showed an activity of 420 kg polymer/(mol Ti h), ethylene 1 atm, NBE 5 mmol/mL affording poly(ethylene‐co‐NBE)s with 33.0% norbornene content. The effect of monomer concentration at ambient temperature and constant Al/Ti ratio for the homo and copolymerization was studied in a detailed manner. We found that apart from the electronic environment around the metal center the steric environment provided by the symmetry of the catalyst systems has a considerable influence on the percentage of norbornene content of the copolymer obtained. We also found that with a given catalyst a variable clearly influencing the copolymer microstructure, hence also the copolymer properties, is the monomer concentration at a given feed ratio. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 46: 444–452, 2008     

Synthesis and characterization of the ring-opened copolymers of deltacyclene, 5-siloxydeltacyclene,and norbornene

The ring-opening metathesis copolymerizations of deltacyclene, substituted deltacyclene, and norbornene was achieved using RuCl₃, ReCl₅, and molybdenum alkylidene catalysts. The reaction conditions employed are similar to those used previously in the syntheses of homopolymers. The low conversion copolymerization of deltacyclene and norbornene showed that deltacyclene is more reactive than norbornene by a factor of 2.4. The characterization and physical properties of these copolymers were determined using NMR, GPC, T_g, and viscosity measurements. © 1993 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Synthesis and characterization of materials prepared via the copolymerization of ethylene with 1‐octadecene and norbornene using a [(π‐cyano‐nacnac)Cp] zirconium complex

[3‐Cyano‐2‐(2,6‐diisopropylphenyl)aminopent‐2‐en‐4‐(phenylimine)tris (pentafluorophenyl)borate](η⁵‐C₅H₅)ZrCl₂, [(B(C₆F₅)₃‐ NC‐nacnac)CpZrCl₂], precatalyst ( 2 ) can be treated with low concentrations of methylaluminoxane (MAO) to generate active sites capable of copolymerizing ethylene with 1‐octadecene or norbornene under mild conditions. A series of poly(ethylene‐co‐octadecene) and poly(ethylene‐co‐norbornene) copolymers were prepared, and their properties were characterized by NMR, differential scanning calorimetry, and mechanical analysis. The results show that this system produced poly(ethylene‐co‐octadecene) copolymers with a branching content of about 8 mol %. However, upon increasing the comonomer concentration, a drastic reduction in the M_n of the product is observed concomitant with an increase in comonomer incorporation. This leads to a gradual decrease in Young's modulus and stress at break, indicating an increase in the “softness” of the copolymer. In the case of copolymerizations of ethylene and norbornene, the catalytic system ( 2 /MAO) shows a substantial decrease in reactivity in the presence of norbornene and generates copolymer chains in which 5–10 mol % norbornene is in blocks. We also observe that ethylene norbornene copolymers exhibit a high degree of alternating insertions (close to 50%), as determined by NMR spectroscopy. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem, 2011     

Thiol–norbornene materials: Approaches to develop high Tg thiol–ene polymers

The ability to prepare high T_g low shrinkage thiol–ene materials is attractive for applications such as coatings and dental restoratives. However, thiol and nonacrylated vinyl materials typically consist of a flexible backbone, limiting the utility of these polymers. Hence, it is of importance to synthesize and investigate thiol and vinyl materials of varying backbone chemistry and stiffness. Here, we investigate the effect of backbone chemistry and functionality of norbornene resins on polymerization kinetics and glass transition temperature (T_g) for several thiol–norbornene materials. Results indicate that T_gs as high as 94 °C are achievable in thiol–norbornene resins of appropriately controlled chemistry. Furthermore, both the backbone chemistry and the norbornene moiety are important factors in the development of high T_g materials. In particular, as much as a 70 °C increase in T_g was observed in a norbornene–thiol specimen when compared with a sample prepared using allyl ether monomer of analogous backbone chemistry. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 45: 5686–5696, 2007