Highly functionalized alternating polyketones which possess epoxide groups
in the side chains are synthesized by cationic palladium(II) complex cataly
zed copolymerization of vinyl epoxides (non-conjugated diene monoepoxides)
with carbon monoxide. Catalytic amounts of formic acid and 1,4-naphthoquino
ne promote the copolymerization significantly without effecting the epoxide
group, with [Pd(L)(MeCN)(2)](BF4)(2) (L = (R,R)-Me-DUPHOS) as the catalyst
.