Free-Radical Polymerization and Ring-Expansion of a Cubane Acrylate: a Unique Low-Shrink Polymer

Alison E. McGonagle; G. Paul Savage

doi:10.1071/CH08484

RESEARCH ARTICLE

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Free-Radical Polymerization and Ring-Expansion of a Cubane Acrylate: a Unique Low-Shrink Polymer

Alison E. McGonagle ^A and G. Paul Savage ^A ^B

+ Author Affiliations

- Author Affiliations

^A CSIRO Molecular and Health Technologies, Private Bag 10, Clayton South, VIC 3169, Australia.

^B Corresponding author. Email: paul.savage@csiro.au

Australian Journal of Chemistry 62(2) 145-149 https://doi.org/10.1071/CH08484
Submitted: 6 November 2008 Accepted: 16 December 2008 Published: 19 February 2009

Abstract

A pendant cubane substituent has been incorporated into an acrylate polymer side chain to give poly[methyl 4-(acryloyloxymethyl)cubane carboxylate]. Treating this polymer with a rhodium(i) salt triggers a catalytic, ring-opening rearrangement of the cubane substructure to cyclooctatetraene, with a concomitant expansion in molecular volume. This system offers a unique opportunity to reverse the shrinkage associated with polymerization.

Acknowledgements

The authors thank John Tsanaktsidis, Richard Evans, and Ezio Rizzardo for helpful discussions, Bill Chong for GPC assistance, and Wendy Tian for FT-IR spectra.

References

Free-Radical Polymerization and Ring-Expansion of a Cubane Acrylate: a Unique Low-Shrink Polymer

Abstract

Acknowledgements

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