Cyclopropanation of Poly(isoprene) Using NHC-Cu(I) Catalysts: IntroducingCarboxylates

Shinde, K.S., et al. Journal of Polymer Science, 2020, 58 (20), 2864-2874, https://doi.org/10.1002/pol.20200404

The incorporation of functional groups into unsaturated polyolefine-polymers often represent a challenging task. We in this paper develop an approach to decorate the polymer backbone of poly(diene)s with ester as well as carboxylic groups via cyclopropanation. Predominantly cis-1,4-poly(isoprene)s are converted with ethyl or tert-butyl diazoacetate using copper(I) N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) catalysts in modification degrees of 4 – 5 %, displaying potential for up-scaling for manufacturing of modified synthetic rubbers. Copyright 2020©, The Authors. Journal of Polymer Science published by Wiley Periodicals LLC