Isotactic poly(4-methyl-1-pentene), which is sold under the trade name TPX, is a commodity thermoplastic material possessing a high softening point (about 200 �C), low specific gravity and high transparency that has found important commercial use in a variety of applications. The monomer, 4-methyl-1-pentene (4MP), should also enjoy long-term advantage as a polyolefin feedstock as it is produced through highly selective metal-catalyzed dimerization of propene. Accordingly, there is significant interest in applying new polymerization processes with 4MP as a means by which to expand the accessible range of poly(4-methyl-1-pentene) materials that might exhibit additional unique and technologically valuable physical properties. Recently, we have developed several new 'two-state' living coordination polymerizations of a-olefins that can be used to rapidly generate, in programmed fashion, a broad spectrum of polyolefin microstructures and polymer architectures � and all from a common monomer feedstock using a single metal complex as initiator.1 This talk will present the results of the successful application of these two-state polymerization processes to 4MP that provide several new unique forms of poly(4-methyl-1-pentene), such as end-group functionalized materials and well-defined block copolymers, and including the stereoengineering2of poly(4-methyl-1-pentene) microstructure. Finally, the living coordinative chain transfer polymerization of 4MP has been accomplished which removes the limitation on productivity that is associated with a traditional living polymerization.(1) Sita, L. R. Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2009  , 48, 2464.(2) Crawford, K. E.; Sita, L. R. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2013  , 135, 8778

Expanding the accessible range of poly(4-methyl-1-pentene) materials through application of two-state living coordinative (chain transfer) polymerization processes and 4-methyl-1-pentene as monomer

247th National Meeting (2014)

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