SELECTIVE CATALYTIC-HYDROGENATION OF C=C IN POLY (BUTADIENE-CO-ACRYLONITRILE) COPOLYMER

This paper studies the catalytic hydrogenation of C = C in poly(butadi ene-co-acrylonitrile) copolymers containing different amount of butadi ene by using RhCl . [P(C6H5)(3)](3) as the catalyst. The results of IR and NMR demonstrate that RhCl [P(C6H5)(3)](3) is an efficient catalys t and shows an excellent selectivity. The catalyst provides quantitati ve hydrogenation of C = C unsaturation without any hydrogenation of CN . It is necessary to keep enough reaction time so that the double bond s can be hydrogenated completely.