Vinyl addition copolymerization of norbornene/5-vinyl-2-norbornene with cationic eta(3)-allyl palladium catalyst and their post-reaction

Abstract

Vinyl addition copolymerizations of norbomene (NB) and 5-vinyl-2-norbomene (VNB) were carried out using a cationic eta(3)-allyl palladium catalyst in the various mole ratio of comonomers. The copolymers could be obtained in good yield (65 similar to 85%). with high weight-average molecular weights (M-w > 760,000). Depending on increasing VNB contents, the molecular weight and yield of the copolymers decreased. FT-IR analysis confirmed that actual contents of VNB in polymer were proportional to the feeding content of VNB. From H-1-NMR spectroscopy, we found that both exo and endo VNB isomer were copolymerized with NB. Thermal stabilities of NB-VNB copolymers were independent on the VNB content and their initial decomposition temperatures were about 300 degreesC. The NB-VNB copolymers were followed by epoxidation by using m-CPBA and hydroxylation by 9-BBN, respectively, and these post-polymers were characterized by FT-IR spectroscopy and H-1-NMR analysis.