Ring-Opening Metathesis Polymerization in Miniemulsion Using a TEGylated Ruthenium-Based Metathesis Catalyst

Ring-opening metathesis polymerization (ROMP) of 1,5-cyclooctadiene (COD) in miniemulsion was conducted utilizing a water-soluble TEGylated ruthenium alkylidene catalyst that was designed to undergo phase transfer from the aqueous phase to the monomer droplets or polymer particles following activation. The catalyst yielded colloidally stable latexes with ∼100% conversion, often in less than 1 h. Kinetic studies revealed first-order kinetics …