Catalytic living ROMP: block copolymers from macro-chain transfer agents

PhotoROMP: The Future Is Bright

Since the earliest investigations of olefin metathesis catalysis, light has been the choice for controlling the catalyst activity on demand. From the perspective of energy efficiency, temporal and spatial control, and selectivity, photochemistry is not only an attractive alternative to traditional thermal manufacturing techniques but also arguably a superior manifold for advanced applications like additive manufacturing (AM). In the last three decades, pioneering work in the field of ring-opening metathesis polymerization (ROMP) has broadened the scope of material properties achievable through AM, particularly using light as both an activating and deactivating stimulus. In this Perspective, we explore trends in photocontrolled ROMP systems with an emphasis on approaches to photoinduced activation and deactivation of metathesis catalysts. Recent work has yielded a myriad of commercial and synthetically accessible photosensitive catalyst systems, although comparatively little attention has been paid to achieving precise control over polymer morphology using light. Metal-free, photophysical, and living ROMP systems have also been relatively underexplored. To take fuller advantage of both the thermomechanical properties of ROMP polymers and the operational simplicity of photocontrol, clear directions for the field are to improve the reversibility of activation and deactivation strategies as well as to further develop photocontrolled approaches to tuning cross-link density and polymer tacticity.

Ring Opening Metathesis Polymerization of Cyclooctadiene and Cyclooctene with Dihydrofuran: Influence of Ru Fischer Carbene

Vinyl ethers are commonly used to deactivate Grubbs catalysts and terminate ring opening metathesis polymerization (ROMP) by forming Fischer carbene species with attenuated metathesis reactivity. However, we recently demonstrated that a cyclic enol ether, 2,3-dihydrofuran (DHF), can in fact be homopolymerized or copolymerized with norbornene derivatives. 1,5-Cyclooctadiene (COD) and cyclooctene (COE) consist of an important class of ROMP monomers, and we describe here a study of their copolymerization with DHF. Addition of DHF greatly suppressed the ROMP activity of COD and COE and resulted in significant alkene isomerization of COD. Chloranil was found to be an effective additive to prevent undesired isomerization and promote copolymerization. As a result, high molecular weight COD/COE and DHF copolymers were synthesized. Hydrolysis of the enol ether main chain linkages yields polyalkenamers with alcohol and aldehyde end groups. This study encourages further exploration of the in situ formed Ru Fischer carbene species in ROMP to access degradable polymers.

Catalytic Living ROMP: Synthesis of Degradable Star Polymers

Star polymers have attracted considerable attention over the past few years due to their distinctive physical and chemical attributes that are different from conventional linear polymers. Here, we present a one-pot synthesis of narrowly dispersed and degradable homoarm and miktoarm star polymers exploiting the catalytic living ring-opening metathesis polymerization (ROMP) mechanism. Several complex polymeric architectures (such as A3-, A4-, A6-, A2B-, A3B-, and AB2-type star polymers) were synthesized quite straightforwardly by using appropriate vinyl ether chain transfer agents. SEC, 1H NMR, and DOSY NMR spectroscopy were employed to analyze and characterize all of the synthesized polymers. We believe that this sustainable and environmentally friendly synthesis of star polymers could become an important synthetic tool for polymer engineers working on supramolecular, industrial or biomedical applications.