title: Synthesis of functional polyolefins using cationic bisphosphine monoxide-palladium complexes.
abstract: The copolymerization of ethylene with polar vinyl monomers, such as vinyl acetate, acrylonitrile, vinyl ethers, and allyl monomers, was accomplished using cationic palladium complexes ligated by a bisphosphine monoxide (BPMO). The copolymers formed by these catalysts have highly linear microstructures and a random distribution of polar functional groups throughout the polymer chain. Our data demonstrate that cationic palladium complexes can exhibit good activity for polymerizations of polar monomers, in contrast to cationic α-diimine palladium complexes (Brookhart-type) that are not applicable to industrially relevant polar monomers beyond acrylates. Additionally, the studies reported here point out that phosphine-sulfonate ligated palladium complexes are no longer the singular family of catalysts that can promote the reaction of ethylene with many polar vinyl monomers to form linear functional polyolefins.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry and Biotechnology, Graduate School of Engineering, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8656, Japan.
authors.forename: Brad P
authors.initials: BP
authors.lastname: Carrow
authors.forename: Kyoko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nozaki