Real-time mid-IR monitoring of metathesis reactions by fiber optic FTIR spectroscopy

The real-time monitoring of metathesis reactions using a recently developed fiber optic transmission FTIR technique is reported in this paper. The ring-opening metathesis polymerization (ROMP) of 1,5-cyclooctadiene, the ring-closing metathesis (RCM) of 1,7-octadiene and the polymerization of phenylacetylene were investigated. The Schrock carbyne complex, Cl₃(dme)WCCMe₃, was used as the catalyst for these reactions. The phenylacetylene polymerization was also studied with WCl₆ as the catalyst. In the ROMP of 1,5-cyclooctadiene, monomer consumption was followed by monitoring the disappearance of the 1486 cm⁻¹ absorbance, characteristic of the CH₂ deformation vibration (δ_s CH₂) in the monomer. In the RCM of 1,7-octadiene, conversion data was obtained by monitoring the 1832 cm⁻¹ signal, which is an overtone of the wagging absorbance at 910 cm⁻¹ of the CH₂ end group in the monomer. Phenylacetylene polymerization was monitored by the disappearance of the ν -CCH stretch signal at 2110 cm⁻¹. Polymerization was much faster with the Schrock catalyst than with WCl₆, but similar conversions were reached in both reactions. Conversion data obtained by the IR technique agreed well with gravimetric product yields.