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

Abstract

Terpolymerizations of norbornene derivatives containing different functional substituents were carried out with ethene and norbornene using the homogeneous catalyst system iPr[CpInd]ZrCl2/MAO. The norbornene derivative 5-norbornene-2-methanol and 5-norbornene-2-carboxylic acid were prereacted with triisobutylalmuninium to prevent the deactivation of the catalyst. 13 CNMR 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 monomer feed-stock. IR-GPC coupled experiments confirmed the homogeneous composition of the polymer. In addition, we investigated the ethene copolymerization and the ethene/norbornene terpolymerization using the trialkylsilyl protected norbornene derivated such at 5-norbornene-2-methyeleneoxytriethylsilane and 5-norbornene-2-methyeleneoxy-tert-butyldimethylsilane. These norbornene derivatives reveal an incorporation rates of 5-6 mol-% in the polymer at a content of 20 mol-% in the monomer feed-stock.