Norbornene derivatives from a metal‐free,strain‐promoted cycloaddition reaction: New building blocks for ring‐opening metathesis polymerization reactions

The preparation of new ring opening metathesis polymerization (ROMP) monomers using a 1,3‐dipolar cycloaddition between aryl azides and norbornadiene is described. Various norbornenetriazolines, obtained through a solvent‐and catalyst‐free reaction, can subsequently be incorporated into polymer backbones through ROMP reactions. Furthermore, thermal decomposition of the triazoline moiety can allow for further polymer functionalization. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2015 , 53, 2357–2362     

Novel organosoluble polynorbornene bearing a polar,pendant, ester‐bridged epoxy group via living ring‐opening metathesis polymerization

A novel organosoluble polynorbornene bearing a polar, pendant, ester‐bridged epoxy group [poly(oxiran‐2‐ylmethyl 2‐methylbicyclo[2.2.1]hept‐5‐ene‐2‐carboxylate) (polyOMMC)] was prepared via the living ring‐opening metathesis polymerization (ROMP) of active norbornenes with a Ru catalyst. PolyOMMC exhibited excellent solubility in a variety of solvents. The number‐average molecular weight of polyOMMC linearly increased with the [M]/[I] ratio (where [M] is the monomer concentration and [I] is the initiator concentration), and a narrow polydispersity of 1.09–1.19 was observed; this was considered a living polymerization. When ROMP of oxiran‐2‐ylmethyl 2‐methylbicyclo[2.2.1]hept‐5‐ene‐2‐carboxylate with [M]/[I] = 350 was carried out at 30 °C in CH₂Cl₂, the number‐average molecular weight (7.01 × 10⁴; polydispersity index = 1.07) was close to the calculated molecular weight (7.28 × 10⁴), and a diblock copolymer was observed after the addition of another monomer ([M]/[I] = 350) with an increase in the number‐average molecular weight (1.60 × 10⁵; polydispersity index = 1.11), which was close to the calculated molecular weight (1.61 × 10⁵). The modified polynorbornenes retained good solubility in methylene chloride, tetrahydrofuran, dimethyl sulfoxide, dimethylformamide, N,N‐dimethylacetamide, and N‐methyl‐2‐pyrrdione. High‐performance polynorbornenes with active epoxy groups could be designed with great potential for applications in photoresists, UV curing, and elastomers. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 44: 4428–4434, 2006     

Synthesis of reactive poly(norbornene): Ring‐opening metathesis polymerization of norbornene monomer bearing cyclic dithiocarbonate moiety

A norbornene monomer bearing cyclic dithiocarbonate moiety (NB‐DTC) was successfully synthesized from the corresponding precursor having epoxy moiety by its reaction with carbon disulfide. NB‐DTC underwent the ring‐opening metathesis polymerization (ROMP) catalyzed by a ruthenium carbene complex to give the corresponding poly(norbornene). The dithiocarbonate moiety incorporated into the side chain of the obtained poly(norbornene) reacted with amine to afford the corresponding thiourethane moiety with thiol group, which underwent oxidative S‐S coupling and/or addition reaction to the C‐C double bond in the main chain, leading to formation of a cross‐linked polymer. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem, 2011.     

Xanthene dye functionalized norbornenes for the use in ring opening metathesis polymerization

A convenient synthetic route towards polymerizable fluorescein, dicholorofluorescein, and eosin dyes is presented. Polymerizability was provided by linking 2‐norbornene carboxylic acid, 11‐bromo‐undecyl ester to the dye's carboxylate functionality. Although the monomers bearing dichlorofluorescein and eosin were obtained in high yield, the related fluorescein bearing monomer could only be obtained in low yield. In the latter case, concurring etherification and esterification led to a product mixture of the desired carboxy modified monomer and a double substituted by‐product. The dye‐monomers were used successfully for the preparation of statistical copolymers with endo,exo‐2,3‐norbornene dicarboxylic acid dimethylester by ROMP. Absorption and luminescence characteristics and, in particular, the acid/base sensitive behavior of the parent dyes were preserved in the monomers and copolymers. The absorption and emission maxima in THF solution and in the solid state were red shifted in comparison to the aqueous samples of the parent dyes. Dye‐copolymers exhibited good film forming properties. Solid state luminescence studies of the copolymers revealed an increasing sensitivity towards NEt₃ vapor in the order fluorescein < dichlorofluorescein < eosin bearing copolymer. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 45: 1336–1348, 2007     

A phase‐separable second‐generation hoveyda‐grubbs catalyst for ring‐opening metathesis polymerization

Polyisobutylene‐supported second‐generation Hoveyda‐Grubbs catalyst is shown to be an effective nonpolar phase tag for ring‐opening metathesis polymerization (ROMP). The catalytic activities of the supported Ru–carbene complex in ROMP are comparable to those of their homogeneous counterparts. The separability of these catalysts leads to lower Ru contamination (0.5 ppm levels) in the polymer products in comparison to the nonsupported Hoveyda‐Grubbs catalyst (10 PPM). © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem, 2012     

Synthesis and optoelectronic properties of novel organosoluble polynorbornenes containing asymmetric pyrenyl and electroactive substituents via ring‐opening metathesis polymerization

Novel polynorbornenes, poly(NBPYTPA), and poly(HNBPYTPA), containing chromophoric and electroactive groups were synthesized by ring‐opening metathesis polymerization using Grubbs' catalysts and followed hydrogenation, respectively. The glass transition temperatures (T_g) of poly(NBPYTPA) and hydrogenated poly(HNBPYTPA) were 195 and 165 °C, respectively. The 10% weight‐loss temperatures of hydrogenated poly(HNBPYTPA) and poly(NBPYTPA) were up to 465 and 420 °C, respectively. The photoluminescence emission spectra of poly(HNBPYTPA) showed strong solvatochromic property, revealing that poly(HNBPYTPA) underwent remarkable bathochromic shifts with an increase in solvent polarity. The cyclic voltammogram of poly(HNBPYTPA) film cast onto an indium tin oxide (ITO)‐coated glass substrate exhibited two reversible oxidation redox couples at 0.8 and 1.2 V versus Ag/Ag⁺ in acetonitrile solution. The electrochromic characteristics of poly(HNBPYTPA) showed reversibility, with color changes from yellow to blue and then to red upon the application of potentials from 0 to 1.3 V. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 000: 000–000, 2011     

Preparation of neutrally colorless,transparent polynorbornenes with multiple redox‐active chromophores via ring‐opening metathesis polymerization toward electrochromic applications

A new electrochromic norbornene derivative containing triphenylamine groups (NBDTPAC8) was synthesized using norbornene amine and bromotriphenylamine. NBDTPAC8 was used in ring‐opening metathesis polymerization to obtain poly(NBDTPAC8) using different Grubbs' catalysts and followed by hydrogen reduction to obtain poly(HNBDTPAC8). The glass transition temperatures (T_g) of poly(NBDTPAC8) and hydrogenated poly(HNBDTPAC8) were 132 and 89 °C, respectively. Poly(HNBDTPAC8) film exhibited a fluorescence maximum around 416 nm with a quantum yield of up to 60%. Hydrogenated poly(HNBDTPAC8) film showed excellent transparency (up to 93%). Poly(HNBDTPAC8) showed cyclic voltammetric and electrochromic behaviors similar to those of poly(NBDTPAC8). The cyclic voltammogram of a poly(HNBDTPAC8) film cast onto an indium tin oxide (ITO)‐coated glass substrate exhibited three reversible oxidation redox couples at 0.69, 0.94 and 1.38 V versus Ag/Ag⁺ in an acetonitrile solution. The electrochromic characteristics of poly(HNBDTPAC8) showed excellent stability and reversibility, with multi‐staged color changes from its colorless neutral form to green, light blue and dark blue upon the application of potentials ranging from 0 to 1.60 V. The color switching time and bleaching time of the poly(HNBDTPAC8) film were 6.2 s and 4.3 s at 1175 nm and 6.6 s and 4.4 s at 970 nm, respectively. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem, 2011.     

Advances in the frontal ring opening metathesis polymerization of dicyclopentadiene

The frontal ring opening metathesis polymerization of dicyclopentadiene using first and second generation Grubbs' catalysts is reported. To have sufficiently long pot lives, dimethylaminopyridine is added as an inhibitor. By choosing the proper compositions, it is possible to determine the ranges in which pure frontal polymerization occurs. A thorough study on the effect of the above components on the maximum temperatures reached by the front and on its velocities is performed. Namely, temperatures range from 164 to 205 °C depending on the type of catalyst and the above component ratios. Besides, front velocities range from 1.0 to 15.0 cm/min, which are one of the lowest and one of the highest values reported so far in any frontal polymerization experiment reported in literature. This finding allows the complete control of the frontal ring opening polymerization of dicyclopentadiene also in practical applications. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2014 , 52, 2776–2780     

Ring‐opening metathesis polymerization of cyclododecene using an electrochemically reduced tungsten‐based catalyst

The ring‐opening metathesis polymerization of cyclododecene using an electrochemically reduced tungsten‐based catalyst (WCl₆? e^?? Al? CH₂Cl₂) is described. In addition, the influence of reaction conditions on the polymerization yield was determined. The resulting polymer has been characterized by NMR, IR, gel permeation chromatography and differential scanning calorimetry. The glass transition temperature and melting point of the polydodecenamer are 19.6°C and 70.0°C respectively. Furthermore, cyclododecene has been polymerized into a low‐molecular‐weight polymer (12.0 × 10³) with a polydispersity of 2.06 in high yields (94%). IR and NMR analysis indicate that the polydodecenamer has a high trans content (60%). Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Ring opening metathesis polymerization (ROMP) of five- to eight-membered cyclic olefins: Computational,thermodynamic, and experimental approach

Ring opening metathesis polymerization (ROMP) of a series of low-strain cyclic olefins and their hydroxyl derivatives using second generation Hoveyda–Grubbs catalyst has been investigated. Additionally, density functional theory (DFT) calculations were performed to evaluate the ring strain energies of the cyclic olefins and their hydroxyl derivatives, coupled with kinetic studies for the ROMP reactions. It was found that among different ring size monomers, Cy8 having a relatively moderate ring strain energy in comparison with the other cyclic olefins, exhibited the highest monomer conversion. The effect of temperature (0, 10, 15, and 25 °C) and monomer concentration (1 M; 2.5 M and 5 M for Cy5 ; and 1 M and 5 M for Cy7 ) for the cyclic olefins Cy5 and Cy7 were investigated. In general, the experimental results for the kinetic ROMP studies obtained using complex HG2 correlate really well with the DFT calculations determined for the ring strain energies of the cyclic olefins. For comparison, DFT calculations predicted the following trend for the ring strain energies Cy8 > Cy5 > Cy7 > Cy6 , and the polymerizations carried out experimentally followed the same trend in terms of monomer conversion, with the exception of Cy5 and Cy7 at lower concentrations, which followed this trend Cy8 > Cy7 > Cy5 > Cy6 . © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2017 , 55, 3137–3145     

Thio‐bromo “Click,” post‐polymerization strategy for functionalizing ring opening metathesis polymerization (ROMP)‐derived materials

The use of a thio‐bromo click strategy as an efficient postpolymerization tool is described. Norbornene derivatives bearing an α‐bromo ester could be polymerized using Grubbs 2^nd generation initiator to provide α‐bromo ester‐containing homo‐and block copolymers that could be efficiently functionalized through reactions with various thiols. A one‐pot strategy was also used, in which up to four different thiols were reacted simultaneously. This chemistry could also be used as an efficient cross‐linking strategy to form ROMP‐based gels as well as a tool for terminal functionalization of polypropylene‐based oligomers. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2016 , 54, 179–185     

Methods for removal of residual catalyst from polymers prepared by ring opening metathesis polymerization

Methods for removing the residual Grubbs' third generation catalyst from polymers prepared by ring opening metathesis polymerization are reported. Two strategies were investigated for reduction of the residual catalyst in the final polymer product. The first strategy involved the use of heterogeneous functionalized particles to scavenge the catalyst from the solution. Filtration of the particles followed by precipitation produced polymers with 10–60 ppm residual catalyst, depending on the type of particle used, surface functional groups, and number of equivalents. The second strategy used small organic molecules that could coordinate to the metal species and modify the solubility of the catalyst, facilitating partitioning of the catalyst into the precipitation solvent. Several types of molecules with varied functionality reduced the residual catalyst level to 30–120 ppm, depending on the loading. Hydrogenation of the polymer backbone followed by precipitation lowered the residual Ru content from 195 ppm to 10 ppm, suggesting that the difficulty of completely removing the catalyst could be a result of coordination of the metal species to the double bonds in the polymer backbone. Reducing the amount of trace catalyst significantly improved the oxidative stability of the polymer. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem, 2010     

Effect of limonene on the frontal ring opening metathesis polymerization of dicyclopentadiene

The frontal ring opening metathesis polymerization (FROMP) of dicyclopentadiene (DCPD) in the presence of limonene, using second generation Grubbs’ catalysts, is reported. The effect of limonene on the amount of catalyst and the typical frontal polymerization parameters, as maximum temperature (T_max) and velocity of the front (V_f), is studied. In addition, the influence of limonene on the mechanical properties of the polymeric samples is reported. Finally, a deep study on the swelling properties of polymers is done. It has been demonstrated that limonene acts as both inhibitor and solvent of the catalyst. The T_max, V_f, T_g, and Young modulus values decrease as the amount of limonene increases, and the polymer samples swell in THF depending on the amount of limonene. All results indicate that the limonene addition on FROMP of results in advantages on the polymerization reaction and its parameters and on the final polymer properties. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2016 , 54, 63–68     

Charge‐transfer piperazine‐containing polymeric systems via ring‐opening metathesis polymerization

This article describes the synthesis of piperazine‐containing homopolymer systems via ring‐opening metathesis polymerization (ROMP). These systems were subsequently used as electron donors in the formation of charge‐transfer (CT) complexes. Using exo‐N‐(6‐bromohexyl)‐7‐oxabicyclo[2.2.1]hept‐5‐ene‐2,3‐dicarboxamide as a starting material, monomers were synthesized to act as electron donors. The amine group at the “open” end of the piperazine was either left open or alkylated with various alkyl groups. The monomers' ability to act as electron donors and their polymerization rates were studied. After initial photometric titration studies using 2,3‐dichloro‐5,6‐dicyanobenzoquinone (DDQ) as an electron acceptor proved that these monomers would act as electron donors, they were subsequently polymerized into homopolymers via ROMP. The experimental results showed that a methanol:chloroform mixed solvent system enhanced the rate of polymerization over a single solvent (chloroform) system. Studies also showed that the alkylated piperazine‐containing monomer had a faster rate of polymerization than the secondary piperazine monomer. These monomers were used to make piperazine‐containing homopolymers via ROMP and the resulting polymers, like the monomers, also functioned as electron donors. Potential functions of these polymers include electronics, solar cells, optical systems, and biological applications. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 47: 5034–5043, 2009     

Borane chain transfer reaction in olefin polymerization using trialkylboranes as chain transfer agents

This article discusses a new borane chain transfer reaction in olefin polymerization that uses trialkylboranes as a chain transfer agent and thus can be realized in conventional single site polymerization processes under mild conditions. Commercially available triethylborane (TEB) and synthesized methyl‐B‐9‐borabicyclononane (Me‐B‐9‐BBN) were engaged in metallocene/MAO [depleted of trimethylaluminum (TMA)]‐catalyzed ethylene (Cp₂ZrCl₂ and rac‐Me₂Si(2‐Me‐4‐Ph)₂ZrCl₂ as a catalyst) and styrene (Cp*Ti(OMe)₃ as catalyst) polymerizations. The two trialkylboranes were found—in most cases—able to initiate an effective chain transfer reaction, which resulted in hydroxyl (OH)‐terminated PE and s‐PS polymers after an oxidative workup process, suggesting the formation of the B‐polymer bond at the polymer chain end. However, chain transfer efficiencies were influenced substantially by the steric hindrances of both the substituent on the trialkylborane and that on the catalyst ligand. TEB was more effective than TMA in ethylene polymerization with Cp₂ZrCl₂/MAO, whereas it became less effective when the catalyst changed to rac‐Me₂Si(2‐Me‐4‐Ph)₂ZrCl₂. Both TEB and Me‐B‐9‐BBN caused an efficient chain transfer in the Cp₂ZrCl₂/MAO‐catalyzed ethylene polymerization; nevertheless, Me‐B‐9‐BBN failed in vain with rac‐Me₂Si(2‐Me‐4‐Ph)₂ZrCl₂/MAO. In the case of styrene polymerization with Cp*Ti(OMe)₃/MAO, thanks to the large steric openness of the catalyst, TEB exhibited a high efficiency of chain transfer. Overall, trialkylboranes as chain transfer agents perform as well as B? H‐bearing borane derivatives, and are additionally advantaged by a much milder reaction condition, which further boosts their applicability in the preparation of borane‐terminated polyolefins. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 48: 3534–3541, 2010