Electrochemically generated tungsten‐based active species as catalysts for metathesis‐related reactions: 1. Acyclic diene metathesis polymerization of 1,9‐decadiene

Abstract

Abstract The application of the WCl 6 –e − –Al–CH 2 Cl 2 system to acyclic diene metathesis polymerization of 1,9‐decadiene is reported. The polyoctenamer formed is of a weight‐average molecular weight of 9000 with a polydispersity of 1.92. IR and NMR spectral analyses indicate the retention of the double bonds in the polymer structure with high trans content as expected from a step condensation reaction. This relatively stable catalytic system, however, also activates the competing vinyl addition reactions while being inactive in ring‐closure metathesis reactions. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.