Ethylene → Ethylene Vinylethylene Carbonate

Participants

Reaction Conditions

Reaction Steps

A 200 mL flame dried pear-shaped Schlenk flask equipped with a magnetic stir bar and capped with a septum was charged with (2,6-di-isopropylphenylimino)-1,4-dithiane Pd(II) catalyst XII (100 mg) in an argon filled glove box. Upon removal from the glove box, the flask was evacuated and backfilled with ethylene. The catalyst was dissolved in CH2Cl2 (20 mL) and immediately treated with vinyl ethylene carbonate (10 mL). The resulting orange solution was stirred at 23° C. under an ethylene atmosphere (1 atm) for 28 hours. A small amount of polymer had precipitated out of solution. The polymerization was quenched with MeOH and acetone leaving gray oil adhering to the walls of the flask. The polymer was dissolved in CH2Cl2 and transferred to a storage jar. The solvent was left to evaporate and the resulting oily polymer. The polymer was washed several times with acetone and MeOH to remove any remaining monomer and was dried in vacuo at ~80° C. for 1 day to afford a tacky solid (1.15 g, 613 TO). 1H NMR was consistent with a copolymer containing approximately 95.5 weight % ethylene and 4.5 weight % vinyl ethylene carbonate monomer units.; Mn 15,400 g /mol ; Mw 96,000 g /mol ; DSC Tg -64° C., Tm -31° C.

Provenance & Evidence