Asymmetric Cationic Polymerization of Benzofuran through a Reversible Chain-Transfer Mechanism: Optically Active Polybenzofuran with Controlled Molecular Weights

Benzofuran (BzF) is a prochiral, 1,2-disubstituted, unsymmetric cyclic olefin that can afford optically active polymers by asymmetric polymerization, unlike common acyclic vinyl monomers. Although asymmetric cationic polymerization of BzF was reported by Natta et al. in the 1960s, the polymer structure has not been clarified, and there are no reports on molecular weight control. Herein, we report dual control of the optical activity and molecular weight of poly(BzF) using thioether-based reversible chain-transfer agents for asymmetric cationic polymerization with β-amino acid derivatives as chiral additives and aluminum chloride as a catalyst. This asymmetric moderately living cationic polymerization leads to an increase in molecular weight and specific optical rotation with monomer conversion. In addition, asymmetric block polymers consisting of opposite absolute configurational segments were synthesized using both enantiomers sequentially as chiral additives. Finally, a comprehensive analysis of the polymerization products and the model reaction revealed that the optical activity of poly(BzF) originates from the threo-diisotactic structure, which occurs by regio-, trans-, and enantioselective propagation.

Asymmetric alternating copolymerization of cyclohexene oxide and CO2 with dimeric zinc complexes

Dimeric zinc complex 2a [ = Et(2)Zn(2)(1a)(2)] has been synthesized by the reaction of Et(2)Zn and (S)-diphenyl(pyrrolidin-2-yl)methanol (1a-H). X-ray crystallography revealed that the alkoxide ligand replaced one of the two ethyl groups of Et(2)Zn and formed a five-membered chelate ring through a Zn-N dative bond. Two zinc centers were bridged by oxygen atoms to form a Zn(2)O(2) four-membered ring with a syn relationship between the two ethyl groups on the zinc centers. Dimeric zinc complex 2a was an active catalyst for asymmetric alternating copolymerization of cyclohexene oxide and CO(2). An MALDI-TOF mass spectrum of the obtained copolymer showed that the copolymerization was initiated by the insertion of CO(2) into Zn-alkoxide to give [(S)-diphenyl(pyrroridin-2-ly)methoxy]-[C(=O)O-(1,2-cyclohexylene)-O](n)-H (copolymer I), including chiral ligand 1a as an initiating group. Complex 3a-OEt ( = EtZn(1a)(2)ZnOEt), in which an ethoxy group replaced one of the two ethyl groups in 2a, also polymerized cyclohexene oxide and CO(2) with higher catalytic activity and enantioselectivity than 2a and afforded EtO-[C(=O)O-(1,2-cyclohexylene)-O](n)-H ( = copolymer III), including an ethoxy group as an initiating group. Throughout the studies, dimeric zinc species are indicated to be the active species for the copolymerization. It is also depicted that the substituent on the aryl moiety in diaryl(pyrrolidin-2-yl)methanol 2b-e influenced the polymerization activity.