LIVING POLYMERIZATION OF (O-(TRIMETHYLSILYL)PHENYL)ACETYLENE USING SMALL ALKOXIDE MOLYBDENUM(VI) INITIATORS

(o-(Trimethylsilyl)phenyl)acetylene (o-TMSPA) is polymerized in a livi ng manner by the new small alkoxide'' initiators 2)Ph)(N-1-adamantyl)[ OCH(CF3)(2)](2)(2,4-lutidine) (1b) and Mo(CHCMe(2) Ph)(NAr')(OC6F5)(2) (quinuclidine) (2; Ar' = 2,6-C(6)H(3)Me(2)) to give low-polydispersity polyenes containing up to 100 equiv of o-TMSPA. The thermodynamically most stable form of poly(o-TMSPA) that contains <25 double bonds is a ir-sensitive and has a significantly red-shifted lambda(max).