Catalysis continues to spark new imagination and excitement of synthetic chemists. One major research thrust in Guan lab is to develop transition metal catalyzed polymerizations for converting simple, readily available monomers into new functional materials at high efficiency and atom economy. In one strategy, we developed a chain walking polymerization method that can convert simple olefinic monomers into highly branched and dendritic polymers. In another strategy, we recently succeeded in direct synthesis of polyamides via dehydrogenation reaction from simple diols and diamines. We are further extending this method to the direct synthesis of functional polyamides from renewable natural monomers. In this presentation, I will discuss our ligand and catalyst designs, mechanistic studies, and efficient catalytic syntheses of functional polymers from simple olefins and natural building blocks.

Efficient and atom economical synthesis of functional polymeric materials from simple olefins and natural building blocks

243rd National Meeting (2012)

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