Abstract: | Attempted preparation of ω‐formyl‐functionalized polydienes by termination of poly(butadienyl)lithium and poly(isoprenyl)lithium with 4‐morpholinecarboaldehyde resulted in 73 and 38% dimer formation (SEC), respectively, under conditions that quantitativey produced ω‐formyl‐functionalized polystyrene. Dimer formation was attributed to postfunctionalization, base‐catalyzed, aldol‐type condensation based on FTIR and 1H‐NMR analysis of the dimer products. High yields (>97%) of ω‐formyl‐functionalized polydienes were formed by workup using acidic methanol; quantitative functionalization resulted from end capping the polymeric organolithium chain ends with 1,1‐diphenylethylene prior to the functionalization reaction. The ω‐formylpolydienes were characterized by hydroxylamine end‐group titration, FTIR, and both 1H‐ and 13C‐NMR spectroscopy. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 37: 1143–1156, 1999 |