Process and catalyst for producing partially hydrogenated diene polymers containing endo and exo chain trisubstituted unsaturation

A partially hydrogenated and isomerized polymer of at least 50 to 100 parts by weight of a conjugated diene monomer contributed units and 0 to 50 parts by weight of an ethynically unsaturated monomer contributed units, wherein at least 30 to 100 percent of the diene monomer contributed units is in a vinyl configuration in the polymer prior to partial hydrogenation and 0 to 70 percent of the diene monomer contributed units is in a 1,4-trans configuration or 1,4-cis configuration in the polymer prior to partial hydrogenation, and wherein said partially hydrogenated and isomerized polymer has an unsaturation ratio of at least 3 to 1, said unsaturation ratio being defined as a ratio of a combined percentage of carbon to carbon unsaturation groups in the diene monomer contributed units in an endo and an exo configuration to a combined percentage of carbon to carbon unsaturation in the diene monomer contributed units in a 1,4-cis, 1,4-trans and vinyl configuration.