ALKENE ISOMERIZATION AS AN ENTRY TO EFFICIENT ALTERNATING RING-OPEINING METATHESIS POLYMERIZATION (i-AROMP)

A process for producing an alternating AB copolymer comprising the repeating unit I,

• comprising:
• (1) optionally isomerizing a cyclobutene of structure III in the presence of an olefin metathesis catalyst to form a cyclobutene III′:
• (2) polymerization of the cyclobutene III′ with a cyclohexene II:
• in the presence of an olefin metathesis catalyst;
• wherein R is selected from the group consisting of H, C1-C20 alkyl, C2-C20 alkenyl, C3-C8 cycloalkyl, heterocyclyl, aryl, aralkyl, C1-C20 alkoxy, C1-C20 alkenyloxy, C3-C6 cycloalkyloxy, aryloxy, heterocyclyloxy, C1-C20 alkylamino, C1-C20 alkenylamino, C3-C8 cycloalkylamino, heterocyclylamino, or arylamino and may be optionally substituted with up to three substituents selected from halo, CN, NO2, oxo, amino, alkyl, cycloalkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, aralkyl, aryl, and a heterocyclic group;
• n, is between 2 and 500;
• each substituent R1 through R6 is independently be selected from the group consisting of H, aldehyde, C1-C20 alkyl, C2-C20 alkenyl, C3-C6 cycloalkyl, aryl, heterocyclyl, C1-C20 alkoxy, C1-C20 acyloxy, C2-C20 alkenyloxy, C3-C6 cycloalkyloxy, aryloxy, heterocyclyloxy, C1-C20 alkylamino, C2-C20 alkenylamino, C3-C8 cycloalkylamino, heterocyclylamino, arylamino, and halogen, and additionally or alternatively, adjacent substitutions of R1-R6 may be taken together to form a 5- to 7-membered ring which may be optionally substituted with up to three substituents selected from halo, CN, NO2, oxo, amino, alkyl, cycloalkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, aralkyl, aryl, and a heterocyclic group.