Polymers functionalized with unsaturated heterocycles containing a protected amino group

1. A method for preparing a functionalized polymer, the method comprising the steps of:

(i) polymerizing monomers to form a reactive polymer having a reactive chain end, and

(ii) reacting the reactive polymer having a reactive chain end with an unsaturated heterocycle containing a protected amino group, wherein the unsaturated heterocycle has at least one unsaturated bond located within at least one of the one or more rings.

2. The method of claim 1 , where the unsaturated heterocycle containing a protected amino group includes a nitrogen-containing unsaturated heterocyclic group that contains one or more rings and has a carbon-nitrogen double bond within at least one of the one or more rings.

3. The method of claim 1 , where the unsaturated heterocycle containing a protected amino group includes a nitrogen-containing unsaturated heterocyclic group that contains one or more rings and has two carbon-nitrogen double bonds within at least one of the one or more rings.

4. The method of claim 1 , where the unsaturated heterocycle containing a protected amino group includes a nitrogen-containing unsaturated heterocyclic group that contains one or more rings and has three carbon-nitrogen double bonds within at least one of the one or more rings.

5. The method of claim 1 , where the unsaturated heterocycle containing a protected amino group includes a nitrogen-containing unsaturated heterocyclic group that contains one or more rings and has four carbon-nitrogen double bonds within at least one of the one or more rings.

6. The method of claim 1 , where the unsaturated heterocycle containing a protected amino group includes a nitrogen-containing unsaturated heterocyclic group that contains one or more rings and has at least one second distinct heteroatom within at least one of the one or more rings.

7. The method of claim 1 , where the protected amino group is selected from the group consisting of bis(trihydrocarbylsilyl)amino, bis(dihydrocarbylhydrosilyl)amino, 1-aza-disila-1-cyclohydrocarbyl, (hydrocarbyl)(trihydrocarbylsilyl)amino, (hydrocarbyl)(dihydrocarbylhydrosilyl)amino, 1-aza-2-sila-1-cyclohydrocarbyl, dihydrocarbylamino, and 1-aza-1-cyclohydrocarbyl groups.

8. The method of claim 1 , where the unsaturated heterocycle containing a protected amino group is defined by the formula I:

where Θ is a nitrogen-containing unsaturated heterocyclic group that contains one or more rings and has at least one carbon-nitrogen double bond within the one or more rings, R 1 is a bond or a divalent organic group, and R 2 and R 3 are each independently a monovalent organic group or a hydrolyzable group, or where R 2 and R 3 join to form a divalent organic group.

9. The method of claim 1 , where the unsaturated heterocycle containing a protected amino group is defined by the formula II:

where Θ is a nitrogen-containing unsaturated heterocyclic group that contains one or more rings and has at least one carbon-nitrogen double bond within the one or more rings, R 1 is a bond or a divalent organic group, R 4 and R 5 are each independently a bond or hydrolyzable group, and R 6 is a divalent organic group.

10. The method of claim 1 , where the unsaturated heterocycle containing a protected amino group is defined by the formula III:

where Θ is a nitrogen-containing unsaturated heterocyclic group that contains one or more rings and has at least one carbon-nitrogen double bond within the one or more rings, R 1 is a bond or a divalent organic group, R 2 is a monovalent organic group or a hydrolyzable group, and each R 7 is independently a hydrogen atom or a monovalent organic group, or where R 2 and an R 7 join to form a divalent organic group.

11. The method of claim 10 , where the unsaturated heterocycle containing a protected amino group is defined by the formula IV:

where Θ is a nitrogen-containing unsaturated heterocyclic group that contains one or more rings and has at least one carbon-nitrogen double bond within the one or more rings, R 1 is a bond or a divalent organic group, R 4 is a bond or hydrolyzable group, R 6 is a divalent organic group, and each R 7 is independently a hydrogen atom or a monovalent organic group.

12. The method of claim 1 , where the unsaturated heterocycle containing a protected amino group is defined by the formula V:

where Θ is a nitrogen-containing unsaturated heterocyclic group that contains one or more rings and has at least one carbon-nitrogen double bond within the one or more rings, R 1 is a bond or a divalent organic group, and each R 7 and each R 8 are independently a hydrogen atom or a monovalent organic group, or where an R 7 and an R 8 join to form a divalent organic group.

13. The method of claim 12 , where the unsaturated heterocycle containing a protected amino group is defined by the formula VI:

where Θ is a nitrogen-containing unsaturated heterocyclic group that contains one or more rings and has at least one carbon-nitrogen double bond within the one or more rings, R 1 is a bond or a divalent organic group, R 6 is a divalent organic group, and each R 7 and each R 8 are independently a hydrogen atom or a monovalent organic group.

14. The method of claim 1 , where the unsaturated heterocycle containing a protected amino group is a (dihydrocarbylamino)heterocycle.

15. The method of claim 1 , where the unsaturated heterocycle containing a protected amino group is a [bis(trihydrocarbylsilyl)amino]heterocycle.

16. The method of claim 1 , where the unsaturated heterocycle containing a protected amino group is a [(hydrocarbyl)(trihydrocarbylsilyl)amino]heterocycle.

17. The method of claim 1 , where the unsaturated heterocycle containing a protected amino group is a [bis(dihydrocarbylhydrosilyl)amino]heterocycle.

18. The method of claim 1 , where the unsaturated heterocycle containing a protected amino group is a [(hydrocarbyl)(dihydrocarbylhydrosilyl)amino]heterocycle.

19. The method of claim 1 , where the unsaturated heterocycle containing a protected amino group is a (1-aza-1-cyclohydrocarbyl)heterocycle.

20. The method of claim 1 , where the unsaturated heterocycle containing a protected amino group is a (1-aza-disila-1-cyclohydrocarbyl)heterocycle.

21. The method of claim 1 , where the unsaturated heterocycle containing a protected amino group is a (1-aza-2-sila-1-cyclohydrocarbyl)heterocycle.

22. The method of claim 1 , where the monomer includes conjugated diene monomer.

23. The method of claim 22 , where said step of polymerizing employs a coordination catalyst.

24. The method of claim 23 , where the coordination catalyst is a lanthanide-based catalyst.

25. The method of claim 24 , where the lanthanide-based catalyst includes (a) a lanthanide-containing compound, (b) an alkylating agent, and (c) a halogen source.

26. The method of claim 25 , where the alkylating agent includes an aluminoxane and an organoaluminum compound represented by the formula AlRnX3-n, where each R, which may be the same or different, is a monovalent organic group that is attached to the aluminum atom via a carbon atom, where each X, which may be the same or different, is a hydrogen atom, a halogen atom, a carboxylate group, an alkoxide group, or an aryloxide group, and where n is an integer of 1 to 3.

27. The method of claim 24 , where said step of polymerizing monomer takes place within a polymerization mixture including less than 20% by weight of organic solvent.

28. The method of claim 22 , where said step of polymerizing employs an anionic initiator.

29. The method of claim 28 , where the anionic initiator is an organolithium compound.