Copolymerization of benzoquinone with norbornene

For the first time, the conjugated dicarbonyl compound benzoquinone has been copolymerized with the strained cyclo-olefin norbornene using catalytic amounts of the Friedel-Crafts metathesis catalytic system WOCl₄+AlCl₃. All analyses reveal that the products consist of conjugated blocks originating from benzoquinone connected with spacers originating from norbornene. The products are soluble in benzene, toluene, chlorobenzene, etc. but possess properties of the conjugated polymers. They have been synthesized via a very simple one-pot procedure.