Modified polymers prepared with lanthanide-based catalysts

Abstract

A method for preparing a functionalized polymer comprising the steps of preparing a pseudo-living polymer by polymerizing conjugated diene monomer with a lanthanide-based catalyst, where said pseudo-living polymer is characterized by having greater than about 85 percent of the polymer in the cis microstructure and less than about 3 percent of the polymer is in the 1,2- or 3,4-microstructure, and reacting the pseudo-living polymer with at least one functionalizing agent defined by the formula (I) or (II) where Z is a substituent that will react or interact with organic or inorganic fillers; R1 is a single bond or a divalent organic group; R2 is a monovalent organic group or a divalent organic group that forms a cyclic organic group with R13 or R14; R3 is a single bond, a divalent organic group, or a trivalent organic group that forms a cyclic organic group with R4 or R5; R13 is a single bond, a divalent organic group, or a trivalent organic group that forms a cyclic organic group with R2 or R14; R4 is a monovalent organic group or a divalent organic group that forms a cyclic organic group with R3 or R5; R14 is a monovalent organic group or a divalent organic group that forms a cyclic organic group with R2 or R13; and R5 is a monovalent organic group or a divalent organic group that forms a cyclic organic group with R3 or R4; with the proviso that each group attached to the imino carbon is attached via a carbon atom and R1, R2, R3, R4, R5, R13, R14 and Z are substituents that will not protonate a pseudo-living polymer.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.