High molecular weight 1-olefin carbon monoxide copolymers: a new class of versatile polymers

The moderate electrophilicity of palladium(II)-phosphine catalysts compared to those of zirconocene dichlorides makes them more tolerant toward a vari ety of polar functionalities of olefinic monomers. This allows use of Pd(II ) complexes as catalysts for the copolymerization of olefins with readily a vailable polar monomers, like acrylic acid derivatives or carbon monoxide. In particular, developments during the recent years have opened the way to a new and broad family of high molecular weight 1-olefin/CO co- and terpoly mers. These 1,4-polyketone materials show interesting and easily variable p roperties which can be tuned from insoluble, highly crystalline to thermopl astic elastic. The latter polymers resemble in some cases flexible PVC and even vulcanized natural rubbers.