The
selectivity of several molybdenum and tungsten imido alkylidene N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) complexes in the ring opening
metathesis polymerization (ROMP) of enantiomerically pure endo,exo-2,3-dicarbomethoxynorborn-5-ene
(DCMNBE) was examined by 1H- and 13C NMR spectroscopy.
With one exception, all complexes showed a strong bias toward the
formation of trans-isotactic polymers, some yielding
polymers based on >98% trans-isotactic repeat
units.
This high selectivity was successfully extended to the ROMP of other
monomers such as endo and exo-N-(R)-(+)-α-methylbenzyl-5-norbornene-2,3-dicarboximide,
2,3-bis[(menthyloxy)carbonyl]norbornadiene, and methyl-N-(S)-(−)-α-methylbenzyl-2-azabicyclo[2.2.1]hept-5-ene-3-carboxylate.
The cationic initiators [Mo(NAr)(5
i
Pr)(CHCMe2Ph)(X)][B(ArF)4] (Ar = 2-
t
BuC6H4, 2,6-Me2C6H3, 2,6-
i
Pr2C6H3; 5
i
Pr = 1,3-diisopropylimidazol-2-ylidene;
X = pyrrolide, O-2,6-(2,4,6-Me3C6H2)2C6H3; B(ArF)4 = B(3,5-(CF3)2C6H3)4) were found to be the most reactive ones, while also maintaining
very high isoselectivity. Finally, a large imido ligand improved stereospecificity,
while the choice of the NHC ligand had only a minor influence. Polymerizations
can be terminated with 2-methoxystyrene, as evidenced by matrix-assisted
laser-desorption time-of flight mass spectrometry.