Patent ID: 8552133

Claim:
A controlled polymerisation process comprising the steps of: (a) reacting a metathesisable linker with an optionally protected metathesisable group of formula A in which R 1 is independently selected from the group consisting of H, optionally substituted C 1-12 alkyl, CO 2 R and CONR 2 in which R is selected from the group consisting of H and optionally substituted C 1-12 alkyl; R 2 is selected from the group consisting of H and optionally substituted C 1-12 alkyl; and n is 1 to 12; to prepare an optionally protected compound of formula 1 in which R 1 and n are as defined above; (b) reacting the compound of formula 1 with a monomer or polymer to prepare a compound of formula 2 in which R 1 and n are as defined above; and {circle around (P)} is a monomer or polymer; (c) capping the compound of formula 2 with a metathesisable linker of formula B in which R 3 , R 4 and R 5 are independently selected from the groups consisting of H and optionally substituted C 1-12 alkyl; (d) cleaving the monomer or polymer from the linker to prepare a compound of formula 4 in which R 6 and R 7 are independently selected from the groups consisting of H and optionally substituted C 1-12 alkyl; and R 1 , R 3 to R 5 and n are as defined above; and (e) polymerisation of the compound of formula 4 via cross-metathesis to prepare a polymer of formula 5 in which R 1 , R 3 and n are as defined above; and y is 1 or greater.