POLY(EXO-5-HYDROXYNORBORNENE) - STRUCTURAL CHARACTERIZATION AND PROPERTY EVALUATION OF VARIOUS CIS TRANS ISOMER COMPOSITIONS

Abstract

Poly(exo-5-hydroxynorbornene) was synthesized via ring-opening metathesis polymerization of an organoborane derivative of norbornene. The polyborane was oxidized by using alkaline H2O2 to give the hydroxy polymer. With the objective of controlling the spatial orientation of the hydroxyl groups on the polymer backbone, polymers with different cis-trans contents were synthesized by different polymerization catalysts. The structural characterization of these polymers was done by using IR, H-1 NMR, and C-13 NMR spectroscopy. The molecular structure details will be discussed in terms of sequence distribution of cis-trans and head-tail diads. The thermal properties and molecular orientation of various isomeric structures were evaluated by DSC and two-dimensional surface studies at the air-water interface separately. Surface area measurements show that the polymer backbone with cis structure has significantly higher rigidity than that of the corresponding trans form.