Diels Alder Polymerizations

Diels-Alder Polymerization Diels-Alder type polymerization of a bisdienophile monomer (30) and bisdiene monomers (31, 32a,b) by using chiral Lewis acidic catalysts (33-35) affords optically active polymers [68]. For instance, the polymerization of 30 in CH2C12 with 32b by using 33 as a catalyst at -30°C gives a polymer with structure 36 showing molecular rotation of [ ]D +243°. When CHC13 or tetrahydrofuran is used as solvent, the polymers with only low optical activity are produced. 

The best solvent from an ecological point of view is without doubt no solvent. There are many great reactions that can already be carried out in the absence of a solvent, for example numerous industrially important gas-phase reactions and many polymerizations. Diels-Alder and other pericyclic reactions are also often carried out without solvents. Reports on solvent-free reactions have, however, become increasingly frequent and specialized over the past few years. Areas of growth include reactions between solids [5], between gases and solids [6], and on supported inorganic materials [7], which in many cases are accelerated or even made possible through microwave irradiation [8]. 

Bailey, W. J., and J. Economy Polymeric Diels-Alder Reactions with 2-Vinylbutadiene. Abstracts of Papers Presented at the 126th Meeting of the American Chemical Society, New York, N. Y., Sept. 12—17 (1954), p. 195. 

Discussion of ladder polymers also enables us to introduce a step-growth polymerization that deviates from the simple condensation reactions which we have described almost exclusively in this chapter. The Diels-Alder reaction is widely used in the synthesis of both ladder and semiladder polymers. In general, the Diels-Alder reaction occurs between a diene [XVI] and a dienophile [XVll] and yields an adduct with a ring structure [XVlll] ... 

Hydrocarbon resins based on CPD are used heavily in the adhesive and road marking industries derivatives of these resins are used in the production of printing inks. These resins may be produced catalyticaHy using typical carbocationic polymerization techniques, but the large majority of these resins are synthesized under thermal polymerization conditions. The rate constants for the Diels-Alder based dimerization of CPD to DCPD are weU known (49). The abiHty to polymerize without Lewis acid catalysis reduces the amount of aluminous water or other catalyst effluents/emissions that must be addressed from an environmental standpoint. Both thermal and catalyticaHy polymerized DCPD/CPD-based resins contain a high degree of unsaturation. Therefore, many of these resins are hydrogenated for certain appHcations. 

Aqueous ring-opening metathesis polymerization (ROMP) was first described in 1989 (90) and it has been appHed to maleic anhydride (91). Furan [110-00-9] reacts in a Diels-Alder reaction with maleic anhydride to give exo-7-oxabicyclo[2.2.1]hept-5-ene-2,3—dicarboxylate anhydride [6118-51 -0] (24). The condensed product is treated with a soluble mthenium(Ill) [7440-18-8] catalyst in water to give upon acidification the polymer (25). Several apphcations for this new copolymer have been suggested (91). 

Sorbic acid is oxidized rapidly in the presence of molecular oxygen or peroxide compounds. The decomposition products indicate that the double bond farthest from the carboxyl group is oxidized (11). More complete oxidation leads to acetaldehyde, acetic acid, fumaraldehyde, fumaric acid, and polymeric products. Sorbic acid undergoes Diels-Alder reactions with many dienophiles and undergoes self-dimerization, which leads to eight possible isomeric Diels-Alder stmctures (12). 

Reaction between oxygen and butadiene in the Hquid phase produces polymeric peroxides that can be explosive and shock-sensitive when concentrated. Ir(I) and Rh(I) complexes have been shown to cataly2e this polymerisation at 55°C (92). These peroxides, which are formed via 1,2- and 1,4-addition, can be hydrogenated to produce the corresponding 1,2- or 1,4-butanediol [110-63-4] (93). Butadiene can also react with singlet oxygen in a Diels-Alder type reaction to produce a cycHc peroxide that can be hydrogenated to 1,4-butanediol. 

Eig. 8. Polymerization of bismaleioiides with OjoCdiaHylbispheaol A via complex ENE—Diels-Alder reactioas. 

Polymerization. CPD dimerizes spontaneously and exothermically at ambient temperature to DCPD. At temperatures above 100°C, CPD can be made to polymerize noncatalytically via a series of consecutive Diels-Alder reactions to trimer, tetramers, and higher oligomers. Eor example, the trimers, 3a,4,4a,5,8,8a,9,9a-octahydro-4,9 5,8-dimethanobenz-lJT-[ iQdene, [7158-25-0] (3) and l,4,4a,4b,5,8,8a,9a-octahydro-l,4 5,8-dimethano-lJT-fluorene [35184-08-8] (4), are formed ia the ratio 87 13 by the monomer adding to the dimer (19). 

Elastomers. Ethylene—propylene terpolymer (diene monomer) elastomers (EPDM) use a variety of third monomers during polymerization (see Elastomers, ethyiene-propylene-diene rubber). Ethyhdenenorbomene (ENB) is the most important of these monomers and requires dicyclopentadiene as a precursor. ENB is synthesized in a two step preparation, ie, a Diels-Alder reaction of CPD (via cracking of DCPD) with butadiene to yield 5-vinylbicyclo[2.2.1]-hept-2-ene [3048-64-4] (7) where the external double bond is then isomerized catalyticaHy toward the ring yielding 5-ethyhdenebicyclo[2.2.1]-hept-2-ene [16219-75-3] (ENB) (8) (60). 

Benzo[Z)]furans and indoles do not take part in Diels-Alder reactions but 2-vinyl-benzo[Z)]furan and 2- and 3-vinylindoles give adducts involving the exocyclic double bond. In contrast, the benzo[c]-fused heterocycles function as highly reactive dienes in [4 + 2] cycloaddition reactions. Thus benzo[c]furan, isoindole (benzo[c]pyrrole) and benzo[c]thiophene all yield Diels-Alder adducts (137) with maleic anhydride. Adducts of this type are used to characterize these unstable molecules and in a similar way benzo[c]selenophene, which polymerizes on attempted isolation, was characterized by formation of an adduct with tetracyanoethylene (76JA867). 

The most important single reactions produced in the carboxyl functionality of the resin acids are salt formation, Diels-Alder additions, and esterification. Other reactions, such as disproportionation and polymerization, are less important. For some specific applications, rosins are subjected to a combination of these reactions. 

Aqueous hydrofluoric acid dissolved in acetonitrile is a good catalyst for intramolecular Diels-Alder reactions [9] This reagent promotes highly stereoselective cyclizations of different triene esters (equation 8) The use of other acids, such as hydrochloric, acetic, and trifluoroacetic acid, results in complete polymerization of the starting trienes [9] (equation 8)... 

Collins and coworkers applied the bis(tetrahydroindenyl)zirconium triflate 32, which is used as a polymerization catalyst, to the asymmetric Diels-Alder reaction [50] (Scheme 1.61). A remarkable solvent effect was observed - although only a low optical yield was obtained in CH2CI2, high optical purity (91% ee) was realized in 2-nitropropane by use of only 1 mol% of the catalyst. The catalyst is also effective for crotonoyloxazolidinone, giving the cycloadduct in 90% ee. 

The use of catalysts for a Diels-Alder reaction is often not necessary, since in many cases the product is obtained in high yield in a reasonable reaction time. In order to increase the regioselectivity and stereoselectivity (e.g. to obtain a particular endo- or exo-product), Lewis acids as catalysts (e.g. TiCU, AICI3, BF3-etherate) have been successfully employed." The usefulness of strong Lewis acids as catalysts may however be limited, because they may also catalyze polymerization reactions of the reactants. Chiral Lewis acid catalysts are used for catalytic enantioselective Diels-Alder reactions. ... 

The Diels-Alder reaction was thought for many years to be only slightly influenced by catalysts. However, in 1960, Yates and Eaton (6) clearly demonstrated that with certain dienophiles, the presence of a molar equivalent of aluminum chloride can cause a remarkable acceleration of the reaction. Providing the diene is not polymerized (7) or otherwise destroyed by the catalyst, the modification can be fruitfully employed to carry out the reaction at lower temperature and for shorter times. 

Dehydration of fi-nitro iilcohols provides an important method for the preparation of nitroalkenes. Because lower nitroalkenes such as nitroethylene, Tnitro-Tpropene, and 3-nitro- Tpropene tend to polymerize, they must be prepared careftdly and used immediately after preparation. Dehydration v/ith phthalic anhydride is the most reliable method for such lower nitroiilkenes. Such lower nitroalkenes have been used as important reagents for Michael acceptors or dienophiles in the Diels-Alder reacdon, which v/ill be... 

When the cnolate of an enone is brought into reaction with an enone, usually a carbocyclic system is prepared by two consecutive Michael additions (M1MIRC reactions). Due to the lower temperatures employed and the absence of diene polymerization these reactions are useful alternatives for Diels-Alder reactions and proceed in general with high diastereoselectivities. When neither enolate nor enone is cyclic a monocyclic system is formed 338 which can be converted into a bicyclic system when the Michael addition is followed by an aldol reaction339. When, however, the enolate is cyclic a bicyclic or a tricyclic system is formed340 341. 

The Diels-Alder intermediate (95) is also rapidly trapped by aromatization in the presence of acids (Scheme 3.64). Thus, the observation hy Buzanovvski < / al.,iK of dramatically lower rates for S polymerizations carried out in the presence of various acid catalysts, is circumstantial evidence for the Mayo mechanism. 

Despite the body of evidence in favor of the Mayo mechanism, the formation of diphenylcyclobutanes (90, 91) must still be accounted for. It is possible that they arise via the 1,4-diradical 94 and it is also conceivable that this diradical is an intermediate in the formation of the Diels-Alder adduct 95 (Scheme 3.64) and could provide a second (minor) source of initiation. Direct initiation by diradicals is suggested in the thermal polymerization of 2,3,4,5,6-pentafluorostyrene where transfer of a fluorine atom from Diels-Alder dimer to monomer seems highly unlikely (high C-F bond strength) and for derivatives which cannot form a Diels-Alder adduct. 

Various mechanisms have been proposed to explain the initiation processes. The self-initiated copolymerizations of the monomer pairs S-MMA and S-AN proceed at substantially faster rates than pure S polymerization. For S-AN333 and S-MAHJJ the mechanism of initiation was proposed to be analogous to that of S homopolymerization (Scheme 3.62) but with acrylonitrile acting as the dicnophile in the formation of the Diels-Alder adduct (Scheme 3.66). 

Various oligomers formed by Diels-Alder/ene reactions are observed.333 334 For S-MA11 polymerization Sato et ci//31 used spin trapping to identify the initialing species. On the other hand, in the case of S-AN copolymerization, Ihe... 

It has been proposed that transfer to monomer may not involve the monomer directly but rather the intermediate (110) formed by Diels-Alder dimerization (Scheme 6.28). 70 Since 110 is formed during the course of polymerization, its involvement could be confirmed by analysis of the polymerization kinetics. 

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