Enantioselective, alternating copolymerization of carbon monoxide and olefins

Abstract

Enantioselective, alternating copolymerizations of carbon monoxide with styrene, dicyclopentadiene, and methylcyclopentadiene dimer were carried out with a palladium catalyst modified by 1,4-3,6-dianhydro-2,5-dideoxy-2,5-bis(diphenyl phosphino)-L-iditol. Chiral diphosphine was proven to be effective at enantioselective copolymerization. In the copolymers, some of the second double bonds of alternating poly(1,4-ketone) were carbonylated. Optical rotation, elemental analysis, and spectra of 1H NMR, 13C NMR, and IR showed that the copolymers had isotactic, alternating poly(1,4-ketone) structures. An oxidant and an organic acid were the promoters of the copolymerization. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 38: 2919–2924, 2000