A series
of prepolymers were treated with CF3SO3H to
cationically cyclize adjacent diene–styrene/diene–diene
units into main-chain cyclic units. Diene–diphenylethylene
alternating copolymers synthesized using anionic copolymerization
were first cyclized completely without intermolecular linking reactions.
The cyclization produced much higher T
g values (approximately 200 °C) than those of cyclized random
diene–styrene copolymers (approximately 130 °C). To eliminate
the number of spacer carbons between cyclic repeating units, poly(1-phenyl-1,3-butadiene)
(PPB) was used as a prepolymer in cationic cyclization. The T
g increased substantially from 200 to 271 °C
as the 3,4-structure content increased from 8% to 80%. The cyclized
PPB with high 3,4-structure content is the highest T
g hydrocarbon polymer yet reported. All results indicated
that the backbone rigidity of the cyclic hydrocarbon polymer can be
drastically increased by reducing the number of spacer carbons and
increasing carbon sharing between cyclic repeating units.