OPTICALLY-ACTIVE POLYMERS VIA RING-OPENING METATHESIS POLYMERIZATION .2. POLYMERIZATION OF ENANTIOMERICALLY PURE (-)-ENDO-2-NORBORNENYL ACETATE

(-)-endo-2-Acetoxy-bicyclo [2.2.1]hept-5-ene ((-)-endo-2-norbornenyl a cetate) was synthesized from (-)-endo-2-norbornenyl butyrate which was separated from the racemic mixture by enzymatic hydrolysis using Cand ida cylindracea lipase to provide monomers with high enantiomeric puri ty (ee > 95%). The monomer was polymerized via ring opening metathesis polymerization (ROMP) using Mo(CH-t-Bu) (NAr) (0-t-Bu) 2 and other si milar molybdenum-carbene catalysts in different solvents. All reaction s yielded optically active polymers with the specific rotation [alpha] D depending on catalyst and solvent. Spectroscopic data (IR, NMR) of t he polymers show the influences of catalysts and solvents on the stere ochemistry of the polymerization reaction.