RING-OPENING METATHESIS POLYMERIZATION OF CYCLIC ALKENES CONTAINING HETEROATOMS

The Ring Opening Metathesis Polymerization (ROMP) of a series of cycli c alkenes bearing heteroatom functionality has been performed using a classical WCl6-based catalyst system. All of the alkenes studied exhib ited significantly slower polymerization rates compared with the hydro carbon monomer dicyclopentadiene (DCPD), this being most pronounced fo r monomers containing a tertiary nitrogen atom substituted at the 2 po sition of the norbornene skeleton. Cyclic alkene anhydrides, prepared by the Diels-Alder addition of cyclopentadiene to maleic and itaconic anhdrides, were found to be polymerizable with high yields giving cros s-linked polymers which exhibited very high glass transition temperatu res. Monofunctional cyclic imide derivatives of the cyclopentadiene-it aconic anhydride adduct were found to be polymerizable to moderate mol ecular weight thermoplastic materials with high glass transition tempe ratures, whilst difunctional cyclic imide derivatives led to cross-lin ked thermoset polymers. The solution copolymerizations of the cyclopen tadiene-maleic anhydride adduct with DCPD, and of a cyclic imide deriv ative of the cyclopentadiene-itaconic anhydride adduct with DCPD, were carried out to form copolymers in high yields having glass transition temperatures intermediate between those of the respective homopolymer s.