Nissim Calderon

Ring-Opening Polymerization of Cycloolefins

Abstract Cycloolefin monomers, possessing unsaturation sites as constituents of the alicyclic rings, have the potential of undergoing polymerization by two distinct mechanisms. Method A (Eq. 1) is the conventional addition polymerization process through the double bond, analogous to the addition polymerization of open-chain olefins. The product obtained by Method A possesses alicyclic moieties as constituents of the polymeric repeat units. A second polymerization scheme, Method B, involves ring opening. This chapter is primarily intended to cover polymerizations of cycloolefins by ring opening.

Polymers from Cycloolefins

Abstract Ring-opening polymerization of cycloolefins has led to a variety of new plastics and elastomers with a great range in physical properties. Ring-opening polymerization of cycloolefins, employing organoaluminum-tungsten salt catalysts, is a special case of olefin metathesis, a new reaction. The ring-opening reaction occurs at the double bond and allows making either large ring macro-cyclics or high molecular weight linear chains. Under certain conditions ringchain equilibrium can be established in these systems.