Thioethers olefin metathesis

The polymerization of ether and thioether monomers was also studied, and it was found that the rate of polymerization was a great deal slower with the functionalized monomers. The number of methylene units between the olefin and the heteroatom greatly affected the rates observed, giving credence to the chelation effect shown in Fig. 6.1. In addition, catalyst 2 polymerizes 1,5-hexadiene, whereas catalyst 6 mainly cyclizes the metathesis dimer to cyclo-l,5-octadiene. At this point there is no clear explanation for this result, and, furthermore, the reason that the COD generated did not undergo ROMP in these reactions is unclear. The data from these experiments clearly shows that Lewis basic functionality retards the rate of metathesis with complex 6 more than with complex 2, although 6 is clearly the more functional group-tolerant complex overall [35]. 

We have found that metathesis of olefmic sulfides can be successfully achieved by using, as homogeneous catalyst, the aryloxy(chloro)neopentylidene-tungsten complex 1. Thus, the self-metathesis of allyl methyl sulfide (4) and of 5-dkylthiocycloooctenes (5) (or their cometathesis with various acyclic or cyclic olefins without functional groups) can lead to a family of new olefins, dienes, or unsaturated polymers containing one or more thioether groups. 

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