Synthesis of polymers with controlled stereochemistry using olefin metathesis catalysts

Abstract

Ruthenium based olefin metathesis catalysts have provided new routes to olefins that appear in a variety of structures. Their functional group tolerance and ease of use allow their application in the synthesis of multifunctional bioactive mols. that are being explored as pharmaceutical agents. The same systems are also useful for the synthesis of an array of new materials from multifunctional polymers to supramol. systems. Underlying these developments has been the discovery of active catalysts with controlled selectivity through the synthesis of new ligands that control the geometry of the intermediate carbene and metallacycle complexes. A recent finding has been a ligand system that controls the geometry of the double bond that is formed in the metathesis process. New catalysts have been developed that produce highly tactic ROMP polymers with Z double bond geometry.

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