Pd(II)‐catalyzed vinylic polymerization of norbornene and copolymerization with norbornene and copolymerization with norbornene carboxylic acid esters

Abstract

The vinylic polymerization of norbornene and its copolymerization with norbornene carboxylic acid methyl esters were investigated. Norbornene was polymerized by us using di-μ-chloro-bis-(6-methoxybicyclo[2.2.1]hept-2-ene-endo-5σ,2π)-palladium(II) as catalyst. The polymerization time can be decreased by a factor of 100000 by activation of the catalyst with methylaluminoxane (MAO). With this palladium catalyst activated by MAO, 140 t of norbornene can be polymerized per mol palladium per h. This catalyst system was much more active than [Pd(CH3CN)4](BF4)2 (I). The polymerization of norbornene by (6-methoxybicyclo[2.2.1]hept-2-ene-endo-5σ,2π)-palladium(II) tetrafluoroborate was also possible but it was not as fast as the polymerization by Pd catalysts activated with MAO. We were also able to obtain copolymers of norbornene and 5-norbornene-2-carboxylic acid methyl ester (exo/endo = 1/4 or 2/3) containing between 15 and 20 mol-% ester units. The copolymerization of norbornene and 2-methyl-5-norbornene-2-carboxylic acid methyl ester (exo/endo = 7/3) was faster than the copolymerization mentioned before. In contrast the homopolymerization of 2-methyl-5-norbornene-2-carboxylic acid methyl ester was 10 times slower than that of 5-norbornene-2-carboxylic acid methyl ester (exo/endo = 1/4).