The synthesis and properties of triethyleneoxy-methylether and crown-etherfunctionalized metathesis polymers

The synthesis and characterization of metathesis polymers functionalized wi th triethyleneoxy-methylether and crown-ether side groups is reported. The triethyleneoxy-methylether substituted norbornene and acetylene derivatives and the 14-crown-4 functionalized norbornene were synthesized and metathes is polymerization with carbene complexes of molybdenum or ruthenium provide d the substituted polynorbomene or polyacetylene backbone. The polymers wer e characterized with NMR, GPC, FT-IR and DSC. Addition of lithium ions to t hese amorphous polymers results in increasing of the glass transition tempe rature, T-g, because the oxygen-metal coordination leads to an enhanced ord er. The triethyleneoxy-methylether-bearing polymers show a low T-g even at high O:Li ratios. This is in contrast to the crown-ether-modified polynorbo rnene where the crown-ether ring stiffens the main chain and leads to highe r T-g. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.