Patent ID: 6265506
Filing Date: 2001-07-24
Classification: C08F

Abstract:
A method of preparing a substantially amorphous copolymer from ethylene and at least one norbornene-type monomer having the structure: ##STR18##wherein each of R.sup.1 to R.sup.4 independently represents hydrogen, linear or branched (C.sub.1 to C.sub.10) alkyl, an aromatic or saturated or unsaturated cyclic group or a functional group --(CH.sub.2).sub.n --C(O)OR, --(CH.sub.2).sub.n --OR, --(CH.sub.2).sub.n --OC(O)R, --(CH.sub.2).sub.n --C(O)R, --(CH.sub.2).sub.n --OC(O)OR, --(CH.sub.2).sub.n C(R).sub.2 CH(R)(C(O)OR), --(CH.sub.2).sub.n C(R).sub.2 CH(C(O)OR).sub.2, or a silyl having the structure: ##STR19##wherein in said functional groups R represents hydrogen or linear or branched (C.sub.1 to C.sub.10) alkyl; R.sup.5 represents hydrogen, methyl, or ethyl; R.sup.6, R.sup.7, and R.sup.8 independently represent halogen, linear or branched (C.sub.1 to C.sub.20) alkyl, linear or branched (C.sub.1 to C.sub.20) alkoxy, linear or branched (C.sub.1 to C.sub.20) alkyl carbonyloxy, linear or branched (C.sub.1 to C.sub.20) alkyl peroxy or substituted or unsubstituted (C.sub.6 to C.sub.20) aryloxy;provided that at least one of R.sup.1 to R.sup.4 is said functional group; and further provided that R.sup.1 and R.sup.2 or R.sup.3 and R.sup.4 can be taken together to form a (C.sub.1 to C.sub.10) alkylidenyl group;m is an integer from 0 to 5; and n is an integer from 0 to 10;R.sup.1 and R.sup.4 taken together with the two ring carbon atoms to which they are attached may optionally represent a saturated cyclic group of 4 to 8 carbon atoms, and the cyclic group formed by R.sup.1 and R.sup.4 can be substituted by at least one of R.sup.2 and R.sup.3 ;said method comprising polymerizing said monomers in the presence of(a) a cationic palladium catalyst represented by the formula: ##STR20##whereinX and Y each independently is a donor heteroatom selected from the group consisting of P, N, O, S and As, and an organic group containing said heteroatoms, provided the heteroatoms are bonded to the bridging group A and not more than one of X and Y is N;A is a divalent organic group or phosphorus forming together with X, Y and Pd a 4, 5 or 6-membered ring;R is a hydrocarbyl group;CA.sup.- is a weakly coordinating anion; and(b) optionally an organometallic cocatalyst;provided that the catalyst has a palladium-carbon sigma bond and if such sigma bond is absent, an organometallic cocatalyst must be employed.