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Updated: May 15, 2026

Depolymerizable Olefinic Polymers Based on Fused-Ring Cyclooctene Monomers
Published on: December 16, 2022
Sequential ROMP of cyclooctenes as a route to linear polyethylene block copolymers
Louis M Pitet1, Jihua Zhang, Marc A Hillmyer
1Department of Chemistry, University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, 207 Pleasant Street SE, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455-0431, USA.
Abstract:
AB diblock copolymers were prepared by sequential ring-opening metathesis polymerization of cyclooctenes catalyzed by a Ru-based Grubbs catalyst. The relatively slow polymerization of cis-3-phenylcyclooct-1-ene (3PC) or cis-cyclooct-2-en-1-yl acetate (3AC) was first carried out and then followed by the faster polymerization of unsubstituted cis-cyclooctene (COE) from the active Ru-alkylidene chain ends. In contrast, simultaneous polymerization of the two monomers provides copolymers with a statistical monomer distribution owing to extensive chain transfer. The resulting poly(3PC-b-COE) and poly(3AC-b-COE) diblock copolymers were subjected to hydrogenation to selectively saturate the backbone alkenes. The consequences of architectural variance between the materials from simultaneous vs. sequential polymerizations are reflected by the contrasting thermal characteristics.
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