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Updated: Mar 26, 2026

Depolymerizable Olefinic Polymers Based on Fused-Ring Cyclooctene Monomers
Published on: December 16, 2022
Preparation of Bottlebrush Polymers via a One-Pot Ring-Opening Polymerization (ROP) and Ring-Opening Metathesis
Scott C Radzinski1, Jeffrey C Foster1, John B Matson1
1Department of Chemistry and Macromolecules and Interfaces Institute, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, 24061, USA.
Abstract:
Bottlebrush polymers are synthesized using a tandem ring-opening polymerization (ROP) and ring-opening metathesis polymerization (ROMP) strategy. For the first time, ROP and ROMP are conducted sequentially in the same pot to yield well-defined bottlebrush polymers with molecular weights in excess of 10(6) Da. The first step of this process involves the synthesis of a polylactide macromonomer (MM) via ROP of d,l-lactide initiated by an alcohol-functionalized norbornene. ROMP grafting-through is then carried out in the same pot to produce the bottlebrush polymer. The applicability of this methodology is evaluated for different MM molecular weights and bottlebrush backbone degrees of polymerization. Size-exclusion chromatographic and (1)H NMR spectroscopic analyses confirm excellent control over both polymerization steps. In addition, bottlebrush polymers are imaged using atomic force microscopy and stain-free transmission electron microscopy on graphene oxide.
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