Abstract
The development of metal catalysts that can polymerize or copolymerize "polar" $Ch_2=CHX$ monomers by insertion mechanisms would significantly expand the scope of metal-catalyzed polymerization and enable the synthesis of new materials with enhanced properties. We have studied the reactions of single-site olefin polymerization catalysts with vinyl chloride, acrylonitrile, and vinyl ethers, in order to probe monomer coordination trends, insertion rates and regioselectivity, and the structures and reactivity of metal alkyls that contain functional groups on the alpha and beta positions of the alkyl chain. These studies provide insights to the key issues that underlie the "polar monomer" problem. Copolymerization of olefins and selected vinyl ethers has been achieved.