DESIGN AND SYNTHESIS OF POLYMERIZABLE CUMULATED DOUBLE-BOND SYSTEM - LIVING COORDINATION POLYMERIZATION OF ALKYLALLENES BY PI-ALLYLNICKEL CATALYST

The coordination polymerization of monoalkylallenes (2a; 1,2-nonadiene , 2b; 1,2-heptadiene, 2c; cyclohexylallene, 2d; t-butylallene) was car ried out by [(pi-allyl)NiOCOCF3](2) (1). The polymerization was found to proceed through a living process without any side reactions to yiel d soluble polymers in high yields, where the resulting polymers had pr edictable molecular weights and narrow molecular weight distributions. The coordination polymerization of dialkylallene (2e; 3-methyl-1,2-no nadiene, 2f; 2,3-nonadiene) was also carried out to obtain soluble pol ymers, although the polymerization rate of 2f was found to be consider ably low compared with those of monoalkylallenes. (C) 1997 Elsevier Sc ience Ltd.