Polymer architecture plays a defining role in polymer properties, and there are well-established strategies to synthesize linear, comb, hyperbranched, and dendritic polymers. However, reliable, facile, and scalable methodologies for synthesizing cyclic polymers and for controlling the ratio of cyclic to linear polymer remain elusive. In this study, we report the scalable and efficient synthesis of high-purity (&gt;95%) cyclic poly(cyclooctene) via Ring Opening Metathesis Polymerization (ROMP) in continuous flow. Architecture (linear vs. cyclic) was characterized through a combination of NMR, UV-Vis, and GPC-SEC. Continuous flow enables the synthesis of high-purity cyclic polymers in a scalable fashion that can be universally applied to a library of cyclic olefin monomers which to date has been a significant challenge in traditional batch reactor synthesis.

Synthesis of high-purity cyclic polymers via ring opening metathesis polymerization (ROMP) in continuous flow

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