Synthesis of acrylamide end‐functionalised poly(1‐hexene) using an α‐diimine nickel catalyst

The nickel precursor [bis(N,N′-dimesitylimino)acenaphthene]dibromonickel and methylaluminoxane were used to catalyse the functionalisation of 1-hexene with acrylamide by passivation of acrylamide with tri-isobutylaluminium. The polymer obtained was characterised by GPC/SEC and NMR. The NMR experiments performed, COSY, DEPT, long-range selective INEPT, HSQC and TOCSY 1D, showed that a 2,1 insertion of a single molecule of acrylamide per macromolecule had occurred at the end of the polyhexene chain. Copyright © 2004 Society of Chemical Industry