Chain transfer agent for addition mass polymerization of polycycloolefinic monomers

1. A reaction composition comprising:

a compound of formula (I):

wherein

a is an integer from 0 to 4;

b is an integer from 0 to 2a+2;

each R is hydrogen, halogen, methyl, ethyl, linear or branched (C 3 -C 6 )alkyl, substituted or unsubstituted (C 3 -C 7 )cycloalkyl, (C 6 -C 10 )aryl, (C 6 -C 10 )aralkyl, methoxy, ethoxy, linear or branched (C 3 -C 6 )alkoxy, substituted or unsubstituted (C 3 -C 7 )cycloalkoxy, (C 6 -C 10 )aryloxy and (C 6 -C 10 )aralkyloxy;

one or more polycyclic olefin monomers; and

an organo-transition metal compound comprising a metal selected from the group consisting of nickel, palladium and platinum.

2. The composition of claim 1 , wherein said one or more polycyclic olefin monomer is of formula (II):

wherein:

c is an integer 0, 1 or 2;

R 1 , R 2 , R 3 and R 4 are the same or different and each independently of one another is selected from hydrogen, linear or branched (C 1 -C 16 )alkyl, hydroxy(C 1 -C 16 )alkyl, perfluoro(C 1 -C 12 )alkyl, (C 3 -C 12 )cycloalkyl, (C 6 -C 12 )bicycloalkyl, (C 7 -C 14 )tricycloalkyl, (C 6 -C 10 )aryl, (C 6 -C 10 )aryl(C 1 -C 3 )alkyl, perfluoro(C 6 -C 10 )aryl, perfluoro(C 6 -C 10 )aryl(C 1 -C 3 )alkyl, di(C 1 -C 2 )alkylmaleimide(C 3 -C 6 )alkyl, di(C 1 -C 2 )alkylmaleimide(C 2 -C 6 )alkoxy(C 1 -C 2 )alkyl, hydroxy, (C 1 -C 12 )alkoxy, (C 3 -C 12 )cycloalkoxy, (C 6 -C 12 )bicycloalkoxy, (C 7 -C 14 )tricycloalkoxy, (C 6 -C 10 )aryloxy(C 1 -C 3 )alkyl, (C 5 -C 10 )heteroaryloxy(C 1 -C 3 )alkyl, (C 6 -C 10 )aryloxy, (C 5 -C 10 )heteroaryloxy, (C 1 -C 6 )acyloxy, where each of the aforementioned substituents are optionally substituted with a group selected from halogen or hydroxy.

3. The composition of claim 1 , wherein said compound of formula (I) is selected from the group consisting of:

bicyclo[3.2.0]hept-6-ene;

2-methylbicyclo[3.2.0]hept-6-ene;

2,4-dimethylbicyclo[3.2.0]hept-6-ene;

2,4,6-trimethylbicyclo[3.2.0]hept-6-ene;

bicyclo[4.2.0]oct-7-ene;

2-methylbicyclo[4.2.0]oct-7-ene;

3-methylbicyclo[4.2.0]oct-7-ene;

2,3-dimethylbicyclo[4.2.0]oct-7-ene;

2,3,5-trimethylbicyclo[4.2.0]oct-7-ene;

2,3,4,5-tetramethylbicyclo[4.2.0]oct-7-ene;

bicyclo[5.2.0]non-8-ene;

2-methylbicyclo[5.2.0]non-8-ene;

2,5-dimethylbicyclo[5.2.0]non-8-ene;

bicyclo[6.2.0]dec-9-ene; and

2-methylbicyclo[6.2.0]dec-9-ene.

4. The composition of claim 1 , wherein said organo-transition metal compound is selected from the group consisting of:

wherein Py is pyridine.

5. The composition of claim 1 , wherein said organo-transition metal compound is selected from the group consisting of:

6. The composition of claim 1 , wherein said organo-transition metal compound is selected from the group consisting of:

trans-[Pd(NCMe)(OAc)(P(i-propyl) 3 ) 2 ]B(C 6 F 5 ) 4 ,

trans-[Pd(NCC(CH 3 ) 3 )(OAc)(P(i-propyl) 3 ) 2 ]B(C 6 F 5 ) 4 ,

trans-[Pd(OC(C 6 H 5 ) 2 )(OAc)(P(i-propyl) 3 ) 2 ]B(C 6 F 5 ) 4 ,

trans-[Pd(HOCH(CH 3 ) 2 )(OAc)(P(i-propyl) 3 ) 2 ]B(C 6 F 5 ) 4 ,

trans-[Pd(NCMe)(OAc)(P(cyclohexyl) 3 ) 2 ]B(C 6 F 5 ) 4 ,

Pd(OAc) 2 (P(cyclohexyl) 3 ) 2 ,

Pd(OAc) 2 (P(i-propyl) 3 ) 2 ,

Pd(OAc) 2 (P(i-propyl) 2 (phenyl)) 2 ,

trans-[Pd(NCMe)(OAc)(P(cyclohexyl) 2 (t-butyl)) 2 ]B(C 6 F 5 ) 4 , where OAc is OCOCH 3 .

7. The composition of claim 1 , wherein said organo-transition metal compound is selected from the group consisting of:

nickel(2,4,6-trifluoromethylphenyl) 2 ;

nickel(η 6 -tolueneXpentafluorophenyl) 2 ;

nickel (tetrahydrofuran) 2 (pentafluorophenyl) 2 ;

[(allyl)Ni(1,4-cyclooctadiene)]PF 6 ,

[(crotyl)Ni(1,4-cyclooctadiene)]PF 6 ; and

[(allyl)Ni(1,4-cyclooctadiene)]SbF 6 .

8. The composition of claim 1 further comprising a compound of the formula (V):

M ⊕ Z ⊖   (V);

wherein

M ⊕ is a cation selected from lithium, sodium, potassium, cesium, barium, ammonium and linear or branched tetra(C 1 -C 4 )alkyl ammonium;

Z ⊖ is a weakly coordinating anion selected from selected from B(C 6 F 5 ) 4 ⊖ , B[C 6 H 3 (CF 3 ) 2 ] 4 ⊖ , B(C 6 H 5 ) 4 ⊖ , [Al(OC(CF 3 ) 2 C 6 F 5 ) 4 ] ⊖ , BF 4 ⊖ , PF 6 ⊖ , AsF 6 ⊖ , SbF 6 ⊖ , (CF 3 SO 2 )N ⊖ and CF 3 SO 3 ⊖ .

9. The composition of claim 8 , wherein said compound of the formula (V) is selected from the group consisting of:

lithium tetrafluoroborate;

lithium triflate;

lithium tetrakis(pentafluorophenyl)borate;

lithium tetraphenylborate;

lithium tetrakis(3,5-bis(trifluoromethyl)phenyl)borate;

lithium tetrakis(2-fluorophenyl)borate;

lithium tetrakis(3-fluorophenyl)borate;

lithium tetrakis(4-fluorophenyl)borate;

lithium tetrakis(3,5-difluorophenyl)borate;

lithium hexafluorophosphate;

lithium hexaphenylphosphate;

lithium hexakis(pentafluorophenyl)phosphate;

lithium hexafluoroarsenate;

lithium hexaphenylarsenate;

lithium hexakis(pentafluorophenyl)arsenate;

lithium hexakis(3,5-bis(trifluoromethyl)phenyl)arsenate;

lithium hexafluoroantimonate;

lithium hexaphenylantimonate;

lithium hexakis(pentafluorophenyl)antimonate;

lithium hexakis(3,5-bis(trifluoromethyl)phenyl)antimonate;

lithium tetrakis(pentafluorophenyl)aluminate;

lithium tris(nonafluorobiphenyl)fluoroaluminate;

lithium (octyloxy)tris(pentafluorophenyl)aluminate;

lithium tetrakis(3,5-bis(trifluoromethyl)phenyl)aluminate; and

lithium methyltris(pentafluorophenyl)aluminate.

10. The composition of claim 2 , wherein said one or more monomer of formula (II) is selected from the group consisting of:

bicyclo[2.2.1]hept-2-ene (NB);

norbornenyl-2-trifluoromethyl-3,3,3-trifluoropropan-2-ol (HFANB);

5-hexylbicyclo-[2.2.1]hept-2-ene (HexNB);

5-octylbicyclo[2.2.1]hept-2-ene (OctNB);

5-decylbicyclo[2.2.1]hept-2-ene (DecNB);

5-perfluorobutylbicyclo[2.2.1]hept-2-ene (C 4 F 9 NB);

5-phenethylbicyclo[2.2.1]hept-2-ene (PENB); and

2-(bicyclo[2.2.1]hept-5-en-2-yl)bicyclo[2.2.1]heptane (NBANB).

11. The composition of claim 2 , wherein said one or more monomers of formula (II) are at least two distinct types of monomers of formula (II).

12. The composition of claim 2 , wherein at least one of said one or more monomers of formula (II) is 5-decylbicyclo[2.2.1]hept-2-ene (DecNB) or 5-hexylbicyclo-[2.2.1]hept-2-ene (HexNB).

13. The composition of claim 2 , wherein at least one of said one or more monomers of formula (II) is 5-phenethylbicyclo[2.2.1]hept-2-ene (PENB).

14. The composition of claim 2 , wherein said compound of formula (I) is present in an amount of at least one mole percent of the total loading of the monomers of formula (II).

15. The composition of claim 2 , wherein said compound of formula (I) is present in an amount of from one to ten mole percent of the total loading of the monomers of formula (II).

16. A method of mass polymerizing polycyclic olefin monomers comprising:

combining a compound of formula (I):

wherein

a is an integer from 0 to 4;

b is an integer from 0 to 2a+4;

each R is hydrogen, halogen, methyl, ethyl, (C 3 -C 6 )alkyl, substituted or unsubstituted (C 3 -C 7 )cycloalkyl, (C 6 -C 10 )aryl, (C 6 -C 10 )aralkyl, methoxy, ethoxy, (C 3 -C 6 )alkoxy, substituted or unsubstituted (C 3 -C 7 )cycloalkoxy, (C 6 -C 10 )aryloxy and (C 6 -C 10 )aralkyloxy;

with one or more polycyclic olefin monomers; and an organo-transition metal compound comprising a metal selected from the group consisting of nickel, palladium and platinum to form a mixture; and

polymerizing the mixture to form a polymer.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein said compound of formula (I) activates said organo-transition metal compound by forming a metal-hydride containing moiety.

18. The method of claim 16 , wherein said organo-transition metal compound is a palladium compound.

19. The method of claim 16 , which further comprises adding one or more compounds of the formula (V):

M ⊕ Z ⊖   (V);

wherein

M ⊕ is a cation selected from lithium, sodium, potassium, cesium, barium, ammonium and linear or branched tetra(C 1 -C 4 )alkyl ammonium;

Z ⊖ is a weakly coordinating anion selected from selected from B(C 6 F 5 ) 4 ⊖ , B[C 6 H 3 (CF 3 ) 2 ] 4 ⊖ , B(C 6 H 5 ) 4 ⊖ , [Al(OC(CF 3 ) 2 C 6 F 5 ) 4 ] ⊖ , BF 4 ⊖ , PF 6 ⊖ , AsF 6 ⊖ , SbF 6 ⊖ , (CF 3 SO 2 )N ⊖ and CF 3 SO 3 ⊖ .

20. The method of claim 16 , wherein said organo-transition compound is selected from the group consisting of:

wherein Py is pyridine.