A study of the ring opening metathesis polymerization of polycyclic aromatic monomers and cyclopentenes with well defined initiators

This thesis describes studies into the ring opening metathesis polymerisation (ROMP) of polycyclic aromatic monomers and cyclopentenes. Chapter 1 reviews general aspects of ring opening metathesis polymerisation of relevance to the themes of this thesis. Chapter 2 describes the synthesis of polycyclic aromatic monomers, the endo and the exo Diels-Alder adducts of acenaphthylene and cyclopentadiene. Chapter 3 reports a study on the polymerisation of these monomers using well defined initiators and classical catalyst systems. Chapter 4 describes the synthesis of a substituted cyclopentene. Chapter 5 reports an investigation of polymerisation of cyclopentene using a variety of well defined initiators of general formula M(=NAr)(- OR)(_2)(=CHR) where M=Mo or W. Chapter 6 presents a study on the polymerisation of a substituted cyclopentene, 4-methylcyclopentene, using a series of well defined initiators, and the characterisations of the polymers obtained using infrared, (^1)H, and (^13)C n.m.r. spectroscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, and gel permeation chromatography and an analysis of detailed microstructure with respect to meso/racemic configurations in the polymer chain. Finally, Chapter 7 summarises the conclusions and makes some suggestions for future work.