Copolymerisation of 1-alkenes with bulky oxygen-containing olefins for dual-stage functionalisation of polyolefins

Abstract

Pd–Diimine complexes catalyse the copolymerisation of 1-alkenes with olefins having a bulky oxygen-containing substituent, either 4-methyl-1-vinyl-2,6,7-trioxabicyclo[2.2.2]octane (VTO) or 2-methyl-2-vinyl-1,3-dioxolane (MVD), to afford a copolymer containing functional groups (up to 34 mol% of the total repeating units). The repeating units from VTO and MVD are mainly incorporated into the terminal of the branches and the main chain of the copolymer, respectively. Hydrolysis of the resulting copolymers by CF₃COOH affords polymers with COOH or COMe substituents, which are difficult to obtain efficiently by the direct copolymerisation of acrylic acid or methyl vinyl ketone.