Selective Ring-Opening Allene Metathesis: Polymerization or Ruthenium Vinylidene Formation

Carbodiimide Ring-Opening Metathesis Polymerization

Controlled incorporation of nitrogen into macromolecular skeletons is a long-standing challenge whose resolution would enable the preparation of soft materials with the scalability of man-made plastics and functionality of Nature's proteins. Nylons and polyurethanes notwithstanding, nitrogen-rich polymer backbones remain scarce, and their synthesis typically lacks precision. Here we report a strategy that begins to address this limitation founded on a mechanistic discovery: ring-opening metathesis polymerization (ROMP) of carbodiimides followed by carbodiimide derivatization. An iridium guanidinate complex was found to initiate and catalyze ROMP of N-aryl and N-alkyl cyclic carbodiimides. Nucleophilic addition to the resulting polycarbodiimides enabled the preparation of polyureas, polythioureas, and polyguanidinates with varied architectures. This work advances the foundations of metathesis chemistry and opens the door to systematic investigations of structure-folding-property relationships in nitrogen-rich macromolecules.

Alkyne Polymers from Stable Butatriene Homologues: Controlled Radical Polymerization of Vinylidenecyclopropanes

Controlled polymerization of cumulenic monomers represents a promising yet underdeveloped strategy toward well-defined alkyne polymers. Here we report a stereoelectronic effect-inspired approach using simple vinylidenecyclopropanes (VDCPs) as butatriene homologues in controlled radical ring-opening polymerizations. While being thermally stable, VDCPs mimic butatrienes via conjugation of the cyclopropane ring. This leads to exclusive terminal-selective propagation that affords a highly structurally regular alkyne-based backbone, featuring complete ring-opening and no backbiting regardless of polymerization conditions.

Synthesis of Polyallenoates through Copper-Mediated Cross-Coupling of Dialkynes and Bis-α-Diazoesters

The copper-catalyzed cross-coupling of alkynes and α-diazoesters have been applied in the synthesis of polyallenoates for the first time. The polymerization tolerated various functional groups and afforded the polyallenoates with...

Cross-metathesis of Allenes. Mechanistic Analysis and Identification of a Ru-CAAC as the Most Effective Catalyst

The first examples of cross-metathesis between two different allenes is disclosed. First- and second-generation Ru complexes were found to be ineffective, at most affording only oligomeric products. The exception was a first-generation complex bearing a bidentate phenyl isopropoxy ligand (i.e., PCy₃ is not released upon initiation), reactions with which afforded a 1,3-disubstituted allenyl boronate in 22% yield. On the basis of mechanistic studies designed to gain deeper understanding of the reasons for the ineffectiveness of different Ru catalysts, it was discovered that phosphine-free Ru-CAAC complexes have the steric and electronic attributes to be highly effective. The results of these investigations pave the way for development of additional olefin metathesis reactions that generate allenes.