One-Pot Synthesis of Norbornene-Cyclooctene Copolymers

A one-pot synthesis of random multiblock copolymers of norbornene and cyclooctene was performed for the first time. It was shown that the first-generation Grubbs Ru-carbene complex enables the synthesis of these copolymers directly from monomers. The one-pot synthesis starts with the metathesis polymerization of norbornene, which has a markedly higher ring strain. Then cyclooctene polymerization takes place, being accompanied by interchain macromolecular cross-metathesis, to give the block copolymer structure. In comparison with the previously studied reaction of polynorbornene and polycyclooctene, the one-pot method affords copolymers with a higher molar weight at a lower catalyst consumption.