Solid state metathesis chemistry

An in-situ method for forming cyclic molecules by metathesis chemistry in the solid state, comprising the steps of:

• providing a non-ringed reagent and a catalyst, said catalyst for driving a ring closing metathesis reaction of said reagent, wherein said reaction produces a solid cyclic product and at least one volatile reaction product;
• removing at least a portion of said volatile reaction product to favor formation of said cyclic product, and
• performing said reaction at a temperature being below a melting point of said cyclic product such that at least a portion of said reaction is performed in the solid phase.

An in-situ method for performing organic ring opening metathesis polymer (ROMP) chemistry in the solid state, comprising the steps of:

• providing an organic ringed monomer and a catalyst, said catalyst for driving a metathesis polymerization reaction of said monomer, wherein said reaction opens said ringed monomer and forming a polymeric end product, and
• performing said reaction at a temperature being below an average melting point of said polymeric end product such that at least a portion of said reaction is performed in the solid phase.

A method for in-situ polymerization by metathesis chemistry in the solid state, comprising the steps of:

• providing a monomer and a catalyst for driving a metathesis polymerization reaction of said monomer on a surface, said monomer forming an intractable polymer during solution polymerization, wherein said reaction produces reaction products including a polymeric end product and at least one volatile reaction product;
• removing at least a portion of said volatile reactant product to favor formation of said polymeric end product, and
• performing said reaction at a temperature being below an average melting point of said polymeric end product such that at least a portion of said reaction is performed in the solid phase.

A method for solid state metathesis polymerization, comprising the steps of:

• providing an organic monomer having double or triple bonded end groups together with a metathesis catalyst having the formula LnM=−R, wherein Ln represents a ligand set, M represents a transition metal, and −R represents a hydrocarbon group;
• polymerizing said monomer, said polymerization producing a polymeric end product and at least one volatile reaction product, and
• performing said polymerization at a temperature being below an average melting point of said polymeric end product such that at least a portion of said polymerization is performed in the solid phase.