Some aspects of the synthesis and characterization of special polymers and oligomers by olefin metathesis

Homopolymers of 2-norbornene and 2,3-bis(trifluoromethyl)-2,5-norbornadiene and copolymers of these bicyclic olefins with 1,5-cyclooctadiene and cyclopentene were prepared via ring opening metathesis polymerization. The molecular weight distributions of the polymers were estimated by gel permeation chromatography.The polymers were degraded in a cross metathesis reaction with E-4-octene; only poly[2,3-bis(trifluoromethyl)-2,5-norbornadiene] was not degradable.All reactions were carried out with WCl₆/(CH₃)₄Sn as the catalyst system. The low molecular cyclic oligomers in the polymerization mixtures and the degradation products were analyzed by gas chromatography and identified using a gas chromatography/mass spectrometry coupling.The degradation experiments show reactivity differences for the double bonds situated in the polymer backbone. On the basis of these differences and the fact that this is the first time that a metathesis degradation of such polymers has been reported, the consequences on the ring opening metathesis copolymerization of cycloolefins are discussed in general terms, leading to some new aspects in the planning of the synthesis of special copolymers and oligomers.With reference to a lecture presented at the 4th International Symposium on Olefin Metathesis (ISOM 4), Belfast, 1–4 Sept. 1981.