Homogeneous diene

The reactivity of ethylene is high, whereas that of propylene is low and the various dienes have different polymerisation reactivities. The viscous mbber solution contains some unpolymerised ethylene, propylene, unpolymerised diene, and about 10% EPDM, all in homogeneous solution. This solution is passed continuously into a flash tank, where reduced pressure causes most of the unpolymerised monomers to escape as gases, which are collected and recycled. 

Isolated tetrasubstituted double bonds do not react under these conditions and the saturation of trisubstituted double bonds is extremely slow, thus limiting the general utility of the method. This difference in reactivity is used to advantage for the selective deuteration of the -double bond in androsta-l,4-diene-3,17-dione (138). In homogeneous solution, saturation usually occurs from the a-side and consequently the deuterium labels are in... 

Compounds 1, which bear in X an electrofugical leaving group, such as trialkylsilyl or diphenylphosphinyl, are of high value for the synthesis of stereochemically homogeneous 1,3-dienes via stereospecific anti or urn elimination. 

B. l0-Bromo-ll-hydroxy-10,ll-dihydrofarnesyl Acetate [2,6-Dodeca-diene-1,11-diol, 10-bromo-3,7, -trimethyl-, 1-acetate, (E,E)-]. Farnesyl acetate (29 g., 0.11 mole) is dissolved in 1 1. of /erf-butyl alcohol (Note 4) contained in a 3-1. Erlenmeyer flask. Water is added (500 ml.), and the solution is cooled to about 12° using an external ice water bath. Maintaining this temperature, rapid magnetic stirring is begun, and more water is added until a saturated solution is obtained. The second addition of water may be rapid initially, but the saturation point must be approached carefully, like the end point of a titration. A total of about 1200 ml. of water is required for the above amounts of farnesyl acetate and ferf-butyl alcohol. The solution must remain clear and homogeneous at about 12°, and if the saturation point is accidentally passed by adding too much water, ferf-butyl alcohol should be added to remove the turbidity. 

The first unequivocal proof of feasibility of homogeneous polymerization free of termination and chain-transfer was reported in 1956, and the concept of living polymers and its ramifications were fully developed in those publications 2). Although the initial work dealt with anionic polymerization of styrene and the dienes, the underlying ideas were soon applied by other workers to a great variety of polymeric systems, as shown by the brief review of some of those developed recently. 

Three kinds of polymer segments are formed in the polymerization of dienes 1-4 cis-, 1-4 trans-, and 1-2 segments (or 3-4 in polymerization of isoprene or other monosubstituted dienes). The latter may form isotactic or syndiotactic diads when the proportion of the 1-2 form is sufficiently high, e.g. a syndiotactic, highly 1-2 polybutadiene was described recently by Ashitaka et al. 123), although the so far examined 1-2 polybutadienes produced by homogeneous anionic polymerization were found to be atactic (unpubl. results of Bywater, Worsfold). 

A. Andreetta, F. Conti, and G. F. Ferrari Selective homogeneous hydrogenation of dienes and polyenes to monoenes, pp. 204-295. 

An elegant complementary test to mercury poison is the use of dienes as selective poisons for homogeneous catalysts, due to their strong coordination to metal centres yielding inert catalytic complexes. In addition, their interaction with metal surfaces is weak. If the presence of diene (dienemetal =1 1) inhibits the catalytic process and Hg test does not, homogeneity can be strongly supported. 

Non-metallocene complexes, such as aryloxide 31 and amide 138, have also been utilized as catalyst systems for the polymerization of a-olefins. Moreover, the homogeneous olefin polymerization catalysts have been extended to metals other than those in Group 4, as described in Sect. 7. Complexes such as mono(cyclopentadienyl)mono(diene) are in isoelectronic relationship with Group 4 metallocenes and they have been found to initiate the living polymerization of ethylene. These studies will being further progress to the chemistry of homogeneous polymerization catalysts. 

The catalytic cyclo-oligomerization of 1,3-butadiene mediated by transition-metal complexes is one of the key reactions in homogeneous catalysis.1 Several transition metal complexes and Ziegler-Natta catalyst systems have been established that actively catalyze the stereoselective cyclooligomerization of 1,3-dienes.2 Nickel complexes, in particular, have been demonstrated to be the most versatile catalysts.3... 

Borohydride reduction of NiCl2 in dimethylformamide or dimethyl-acetamide leads to very active catalysts, thought to be homogeneous, for hydrogenation of monoolefins, unsaturated fats, cyclic dienes to monoenes, and saturated aldehydes and ketones (165, 538, 539). Cobaltous chloride systems have also been used (540). 

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