The Structure of Poly(1-oxo-2-phenyltrimethylene): A Crystalline Alternating Styrene-Carbon Monoxide Copolymer

Abstract

From the alternating copolymerization of carbon monoxide and styrene with a soluble palladium containing catalytic system a product fraction insoluble in boiling 2-butanone was isolated which is highly crystalline. The polymer has been identified mainly by 1H- and 13C-NMR spectroscopy and by X-ray diffraction as syndiotactic poly(1-oxo-2-phenyltrimethylene). This polymer completely epimerizes to atactic poly(1-oxo-2-phenyltrimethylene) in the presence of sodium 2-chlorophenolate.