Method for producing saturated polymers and saturated or unsaturated blends
AssigneeUniversity of Ottawa
InventorsDeryn Elizabeth Fogg, Samantha Dawn Drouin, Fojan Zamanian
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Abstract
The present invention provides a method to improve the efficiency of ROMP-hydrogenation and ROMP-hydrogenolysis processes. Thus the invention provides a means for increasing the rate of reaction of the hydrogenation step of the ROMP-hydrogenation process via the addition of non-inert solvent such as methanol. The present invention permits multiple cycles of ROMP-hydrogenation-ROMP and ROMP-hydrogenolysis-ROMP without additional catalyst, thus allowing the formation of tailored polymer blends in a ‘one-pot’ reaction. Moreover, the ROMP-hydrogenation reactions of the present invention may be carried out at pressures as low as atmospheric pressure.
Claims37
A method for producing a substantially saturated polymer, the method comprising the steps of:
- (A) generating an unsaturated polymer by polymerising a substrate using ring-opening metathesis polymerisation (ROMP) in the presence of a catalyst comprising a carbene group, the catalyst being of the formula I:
- wherein each L represents independently a neutral two electron donor ligand, each X represents independently a co-ordinating anion, and any two or more of X and L may be connected via a bridging moiety, and R represents hydrogen or an organic radical, to form an unsaturated polymer;
- (B) hydrogenating the unsaturated polymer to produce the substantially saturated polymer, wherein the hydrogenation is catalysed by a hydrogenation catalyst generated by modification of the polymerisation catalyst of formula I by replacement of the carbene group with at least one hydrogen, and the hydrogenation reaction is accelerated by a catalysis enhancing non-inert solvent;
- and
- (C) adding a Lewis or Brönsted acid or base at any time prior to step (B), as required.
A method for producing a polymer, the method comprising the steps of:
- (A) generating an unsaturated polymer by polymerising a substrate using ring-opening metathesis polymerisation (ROMP) in the presence of a catalyst comprising a carbene group, the catalyst being of the formula I:
- wherein each L represents independently a neutral two electron donor ligand, each X represents independently a co-ordinating anion, and any two or more of X and L may be connected via a bridging moiety, and R represents hydrogen or an organic radical, to form an unsaturated polymer;
- (B) hydrogenation of the unsaturated polymer to produce the substantially saturated polymer, wherein the hydrogenation is catalysed by a hydrogenation catalyst generated by modification of the polymerisation catalyst of formula I by replacement of the carbene group with at least one hydrogen;
- and
- (C) adding a Lewis or Brönsted acid or base at any time prior to step (B), as required;
- (D) regenerating the polymerisation catalyst of formula I by reinstallation of the carbene group;
- and
- (E) adding a substrate, which is the same or different from the substrate of step (A), as required;
- and
- (F) performing a second polymerisation step, catalysed by the polymerisation catalyst of formula I, as regenerated in step (D).
A method for producing a substantially saturated polymer, the method comprising the steps of:
- (A) generating an unsaturated polymer by polymerising a substrate using ring-opening metathesis polymerisation (ROMP) in the presence of a catalyst comprising a carbene group, the catalyst being of the formula I:
- wherein each L represents independently a neutral two electron donor ligand, each X represents independently a co-ordinating anion, and any two or more of X and L may be connected via a bridging moiety, and R represents hydrogen or an organic radical, to form an unsaturated polymer;
- (B) hydrogenating the unsaturated polymer to produce the substantially saturated polymer, wherein the hydrogenation is catalysed by a hydrogenation catalyst generated by modification of the polymerisation catalyst of formula I by replacement of the carbene group with at least one hydrogen, under a hydrogen pressure of from about 1 to about 200 bar;
- and
- (C) adding a Lewis or Brönsted acid or base at any time prior to step (B), as required.
A method for producing a substantially saturated polymer, the method comprising the steps of:
- (A) generating an unsaturated polymer by polymerising a substrate using ring-opening metathesis polymerisation (ROMP) in the presence of a suitable catalyst;
- (B) hydrogenating the unsaturated polymer to produce the substantially saturated polymer, wherein the hydrogenation is catalysed by a hydrogenation catalyst generated by modification of the polymerisation catalyst of formula I by replacement of the carbene group with at least one hydrogen, and the hydrogenation reaction is accelerated by a catalysis enhancing non-inert solvent;
- and
- (C) adding a Lewis or Brönsted acid or base at any time prior to step (B), as required.
A method for producing an unsaturated polymer, the method comprising the steps of:
- (A) generating an unsaturated polymer by polymerising a substrate using ring-opening metathesis polymerisation (ROMP) in the presence of a catalyst comprising a carbene group, the catalyst being of the formula I:
- wherein each L represents independently a neutral two electron donor ligand, each X represents independently a coordinating anion, and any two or more of X and L may be connected via a bridging moiety, and R represents hydrogen or an organic radical, to form an unsaturated polymer;
- (B) subjecting the unsaturated polymer to hydrogenolysis, wherein the hydrogenolysis is effected by a hydrogenolysis agent generated by modification of the polymerisation catalyst of formula I by replacement of the carbene group with at least one hydrogen, under a hydrogen pressure of less than about 1 atm;
- and
- (C) adding a Lewis or Brönsted acid or base at any time prior to step (B), as required.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.