Chain Elongation Influence in Copolymerization with Different Diesters of Norbornene 2,3-Dicarboxylic Acid Monomers via ROMP under Air Atmosphere

Abstract

Diesters of norbornene 2,3-dicarboxylic acid (NBE-(COOR) 2 ), in which R is an alkyl group, were synthesized from one-pot synthesis method with 5-norbornene-2,3-dicarboxylic acid and methanol and ethanol. The new monomers were, respectively, the dimethyl ester NBE-(COOCH 3 ) 2 and diethyl ester NBE-(COOCH 2 CH 3 ) 2 . Norbornene was mixed with these monomers at different proportions and copolymerized via ring-opening metathesis polymerization (ROMP) with 1 st generation Grubbs' catalyst. All experiments were conducted under air atmosphere to obtain the isolated polymer. Yield results show that elongation of the R group influenced the copolymerization process. At the same co-monomer proportion, the yield decreases as a function of the R group elongation. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) was performed and, in all cases, more than one thermal degradation process was observed. The first process was assigned to pendent group degradation, whereas the second process was assigned to main chain degradation. These thermal processes were also influenced by different elongation of the aliphatic group of the pendent chain.

Advanced sol–gel process for efficient heterogeneous ring-closing metathesis

“…Due to catalyst significance, much research has been done to develop an efficient catalyst and efficient catalytic processes. Commonly, homogenous catalysis 4 , 6 , 15 , 18 , 21 – 23 , 25 , 26 has been used; however, owing to their high costs 29 , the ability to recycle the catalyst is very important. As such, it is more efficient and productive to use the catalysts as part of a heterogeneous system, which enables them to be recycled.…”