Formation of Alternating trans-A-alt-B Copolymers through Ring-Opening Metathesis Polymerization Initiated by Molybdenum Imido Alkylidene Complexes

Abstract

Ring-opening metathesis polymerization (ROMP) is used to prepare trans-poly(A-alt-B) polymers from a 1:1 mixture of A and B where A is a cyclic olefin such as cyclooctene (A[subscript 1]) or cycloheptene (A[subscript 2]) and B is a large norbornadiene or norbornene derivative such as 2,3-dicarbomethoxy-7-isopropylidenenorbornadiene (B[subscript 1]) or dimethylspirobicyclo[2.2.1]hepta-2,5-diene-2,3-dicarboxylate-7,1'cyclopropane (B[subscript 2]). The most successful initiators that were examined are of the type Mo(NR)(CHCMe[subscript 2]Ph)[OCMe(CF[subscript 3])[subscript 2]][subscript 2] (R = 2,6-Me[subscript 2]C[subscript 6]H[subscript 3] (1) or 2,6-iPr[subscript 2]C[subscript 6]H[subscript 3] (2)). The trans configuration of the AB linkages is proposed to result from the steric demand of B. Both anti-MB and syn-MB alkylidenes are observed during the copolymerization, where B was last inserted into a Mo=C bond, although anti-MB dominates as the reaction proceeds. Anti-MB is lower in energy than syn-MB, does not react readily with either A or B, and interconverts slowly with syn-MB through rotation about the Mo=C bond. Syn-MB does not readily react with B, but it does react slowly with A (rate constant ~1 M[superscript -1] s [superscript -1]) to give anti-MA and one trans-AB linkage. Anti-MA then reacts with B (rate constant ~300 M[superscript -1] s[superscript -1] or larger) to give syn-MB and the second trans-AB linkage. The reaction has been modeled using experimental data in order to obtain the estimated rate constants above. The reaction between anti-MA and A is proposed to give rise to AA linkages, but AA dyads can amount to <5%. Several other possible A and B monomers, initiators, and conditions were explored.