Synthesis of a soluble vinyl‐type polynorbornene with a half‐titanocene/methylaluminoxane catalyst

Abstract

AbstractNorbornene polymerization was performed with monocyclopentadienyltitanium tribenzyloxide activated with methylaluminoxane (MAO). The catalyst afforded a pure vinyl‐type polymer at temperatures below 80 °C and at appropriate MAO concentrations. However, at higher temperatures or high MAO concentrations, a portion of the titanium species was pyrolyzed to form an alkylidene compound that catalyzed the ring‐opening metathesis polymerization of norbornene. As a result, both vinyl‐type and ring‐opening polymers were produced under the reaction conditions. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 40: 1421–1425, 2002