Functional Polyesters via the Regioselective Ring-Opening Copolymerizations of Norbornene Anhydride with Epichlorohydrin

Abstract: The highly regioselective ring-opening copolymerizations of 5-norbornene-2,3-dicarboxylic anhydride (NA) and epoxide monomers have been successfully achieved using CrIII catalyst bearing tetradentate imine-thioether-bridged bis(phenolate) ligand in combination with bis(triphenylphoshine)iminium chloride. The cis/trans regioselectivity of resulting polyesters can be tailored simply by controlling the feed ratio and the structure of monomer. Specifically, the polyesters produced by the copolymerization of NA and epichlorohydrin offer a robust platform for the post-modification. Thus, the ring-strained C=C double bonds in the norbornene units promote the azide-alkene 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition to functionalize the resulting polyesters depending on targets.