Orthogonal C-B Bond Transformation as an Approach for Versatile Synthesis of End-Functionalized Polymers

Enzyme-Like Catalysis of Vinyl Copolymer Carrying Boron Directly Connected to Backbone: Catalytic Esterification through Cooperation of Boron with Neighboring Carboxylic Anhydride

Alternating-rich copolymer of vinylboronic acid pinacol ester (VBpin) and maleic anhydride (MAH) was found to catalyze direct dehydrative esterification of carboxylic acid and alcohol. The key to the catalytic function is the activation of the MAH unit by the neighboring Lewis acidic boron directly connected to the backbone through the formation of five-membered ring. The effects of the side-chain cooperation were clarified through comparisons with the polymers having similar structures and a conventional titanium catalyst as well as the analyses of reactions with carboxylic acid or alcohol. The catalytic activity was enhanced as the molecular weight was higher, which is owing to the structural feature that boron is directly attached to the backbone. The cooperative catalysis is of interest because of its conceptual similarity with enzyme.

A General Strategy To Access Alternating Styrene/Substituted Styrene Copolymers by Using a Traceless Controlling Group

We herein report a synthetic strategy for alternating copolymers of styrene and substituted styrenes by utilizing α-styryl boronate pinacol ester (StBpin) as the co-monomer through radical alternating copolymerization followed by protodeboronation. The excellent alternating polymerization behavior of the StBpin co-monomer in such a radical polymerization system is considered to be attributed to the steric hindrance and radical stabilization exerted by the Bpin group. This strategy is effective with a wide range of substituted styrene co-monomers regardless of the electronic nature of the substituents, and the protodeboronation of the alternating Bpin-containing polymers is highly efficient without polymer backbone alternation. RAFT living polymerization was also compatible with this approach. Thus, this strategy provides a way to build-up alternating copolymers consisting of similar styrene-type co-monomers, which has been inaccessible by conventional synthetic methods.

Anthranilamide-protected vinylboronic acid: rational monomer design for improved polymerization/transformation ability providing access to conventionally inaccessible copolymers

We designed a vinyl-boronic-acid protected by anthranilamide as a “transformable” monomer in radical polymerization to synthesize conventionally inaccessible copolymers, such as poly(vinyl alcohol-co-styrene) and poly(ethylene-co-acrylate).