COPOLYMERIZATION OF STYRENE WITH (Z)-1,3-PENTADIENE IN THE PRESENCE OF A SYNDIOTACTIC-SPECIFIC CATALYST

Copolymerization of styrene with (Z)-1,3-pentadiene affords copolymers mostly containing 1,2 pentadiene units. Both the styrene and the pent adiene units are in syndiotactic arrangement but the comonomer sequenc e distribution is far from bernoullian. Interestingly, the behavior of (Z)-1,3-pentadiene does not change much when polymerization temperatu re raises from -20 to +20 degrees C, notwithstanding that (Z)-1,3-pent adiene affords a 1,2-syndiotactic homopolymer at -20 degrees C but a p revailingly 1,4 cis homopolymer at +20 degrees C. (C) 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.