Allyl-substituted
cyclooctenes with ether side-chains [methoxy,
methoxy-terminated oligo(ethylene glycol)s, and tetrahydrofurfuryloxy
group] were prepared as monomers and polymerized by ring-opening metathesis
polymerization (ROMP) using Grubbs second-generation catalyst. In
all cases, the ROMP of allyl-substituted monomers proceeded in a regio-
and stereoselective manner to afford polymers with remarkably high
head-to-tail regioregularity with high trans-stereoregularity. The
regio- and stereoregularity of polymers were affected by the bulkiness
of the substituent, and the ROMP of tetrahydrofurfuryloxy-substituted
cyclooctene exhibited nearly perfect regio- (head-to-tail = 99%) and
stereoselectivity (trans-double bond = 99%). Chemical
hydrogenation of obtained polymers afforded model poly(ethylene-co-vinyl ether)s with precisely placed ether branches on
every eighth backbone carbon. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC)
was used to study the thermal properties, and the hydrophilicity of
polymers was evaluated by water contact angle measurement. The surface
hydrophilicity of unsaturated polymers was effectively tuned by changing
the side-chain length of oligo(ethylene glycol) groups while maintaining
the hydrophobic character unchanged for saturated versions.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.