Design of PEO‐based ruthenium carbene for aqueous metathesis polymerization. Synthesis by the “macromonomer method” and application in the miniemulsion metathesis polymerization of norbornene

Novel water‐soluble ruthenium carbene complexes with finely tuned structure and properties in solution are reported. These ruthenium‐based initiators were found to exhibit great catalytic activity in aqueous miniemulsion ring‐opening metathesis polymerization of norbornene. Stable particles of polynorbornene could be generated in the 200–250 nm size range stabilized with a nonionic surfactant (polystyrene‐b‐poly(ethylene oxide)). © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 44: 2784–2793, 2006