Acetylenic monomers/cycloolefin

Acetylenic monomers also appeared to undergo polymerisation with conventional olefin metathesis catalysts. This relates to monosubstituted highly branched alkylacetylenes and arylacetylenes as well as disubstituted acetylenes (internal alkynes) [16-18], It has been demonstrated that acetylene itself may also be polymerised using olefin metathesis catalysts [19,20]. The polymerisation of alkynes [scheme (2)] involves a metathesis reaction [scheme (5) of Chapter 2] analogously to that of cycloolefins [21] ... 

The mechanism of polymerisation of alkynes with metathesis catalysts requires that the original triple bond of the acetylenic monomer becomes a single bond in the polymer [scheme (5) of Chapter 2], in contrast to the insertion mechanism of acetylene polymerisation with Ziegler-Natta catalysts, where the triple bond becomes a double bond [scheme (1)]. Ideas about the mechanism of metathesis polymerisation of cycloolefins suggested that isolable metal carbenes might promote the polymerisation of cycloolefins suggested that isolable metal carbenes might promote the polymerisation of alkynes, as indeed turned out to be true, as several metal carbenes were found [22-24] to cause alkyne polymerisation. 

Interesting evidence supporting the mechanism of polymerisation of acetylenes via carbene species is provided by the block and random copolymerisation of acetylenic monomers with cycloolefins. For instance, block copolymers of acetylene and cyclopentene with the WC —AlEtCT catalyst [41] and block copolymers of acetylene and norbornene with the (MeA. Oj2W(=NAr)= CHMe3 catalyst [42] have been obtained moreover, random copolymers of phenylacetylene and norbornene with the WC16 catalyst have also been obtained [149, 150],... 

As in the case of the ring-opening metathesis polymerisation of cycloolefins, an important matter is the control of polymerisation to prepare acetylenic polymers having precise structures. A living polymerisation is of practical importance in the synthesis of monodisperse polymers, such as terminally functionalised polymers and block copolymers. The metathesis catalysts that promote the living polymerisation of acetylene [42] and acetylenic monomers include M0OCI4 SnBu EtOFkNbCls and Ta, Mo and W alkylidenes [84, 133, 152, 153]. 

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