Homogeneous metallocene/MAO-catalyzed polymerizations of polar norbornene derivatives: copolymerizations using ethene, and terpolymerizations using ethene and norbornene

Terpolymerizations of norbornene derivatives containing different functiona l substituents were carried out with ethene and norbornene using the homoge neous catalyst system iPr[CpInd]ZrCl2/MAO. The norbornene derivatives 5-nor bornene-2-methanol and 5-norbornene-2-carboxylic acid were prereacted with triisobutylaluminium to prevent the deactivation of the catalyst. C-13 NMR studies revealed the composition of the polymer. The incorporation rate was 5-12 mol-% at a content of 50 mol-% of the norbornene derivative in the mo nomer feedstock. IR-GPC coupled experiments confirmed the homogeneous compo sition of the polymer. In addition, we investigated the ethene copolymeriza tion and the ethene/norbornene terpolymerization using the trialkylsilyl pr otected norbornene derivatives such as 5-norbornene-2-methyleneoxytriethyls ilane and 5-norbornene-2-methyleneoxy-tert-butyldimethylsilane. These norbo rnene derivatives reveal an incorporation rate of 5-6 mol-% in the polymer at a content of 20 mol-% in the monomer feedstock.