Patent ID: 7381781

Claim:
A process for the preparation of a, optionally hydrogenated, nitrile rubber comprising the steps of a) reacting a nitrile rubber in the absence of any co-olefin and in the presence of at least one compound selected from the group consisting of compounds of the general formulas I, II, III or IV, wherein: M is Os or Ru, R and R 1 are, independently, hydrogen or a hydrocarbon selected from the group consisting of C 2 -C 20 alkenyl, C 2 -C 20 alkynyl, C 1 -C 20 alkyl, aryl, C 1 -C 20 carboxylate, C 1 -C 20 alkoxy, C 2 -C 20 alkenyloxy, C 2 -C 20 alkynyloxy, aryloxy, C 2 -C 20 alkoxycarbonyl, C 1 -C 20 alkylthio, C 1 -C 20 alkylsulfonyl and C 1 -C 20 alkylsulfinyl, X and X 1 are independently any anionic ligand, L and L 1 are, independently any neutral ligand, optionally, L and L 1 can be linked to one another to from a bidentate neutral ligand; wherein: M 1 is Os or Ru; R 2 and R 3 are, independently, hydrogen or a hydrocarbon selected from the group consisting of C 2 -C 20 alkenyl, C 2 -C 20 alkynyl, C 1 -C 20 alkyl, aryl, C 1 -C 20 carboxylate, C 1 -C 20 alkoxy, C 2 -C 20 alkenyloxy, C 2 -C 20 alkynyloxy, aryloxy, C 2 -C 20 alkoxycarbonyl, C 1 -C 20 alkylthio, C 1 -C 20 alkylsulfonyl and C 1 -C 20 alkylsulfinyl, X 2 is a anionic ligand, and L 2 is a neutral mono- or polycyclic π-bonded ligand, L 3 is a ligand selected from the group consisting of phosphines, sulfonated phosphines, fluorinated phosphines, functionalized phosphines bearing up to three aminoalkyl-, ammoniumalkyl-, alkoxyalkyl-, alkoxylcarbonylalkyl-, hydrocycarbonylalkyl-, hydroxyalkyl- or ketoalkyl-groups, phosphites, phosphinites, phosphonites, phosphinamines, arsines, stibenes, ethers, amines, amides, imines, sulfoxides, thioethers and pyridines, Y − is a non-coordinating anion, n is an integer in the range of from 0 to 5, wherein M 2 is Mo or W, R 4 , R 5 are, independently, hydrogen or a hydrocarbon selected from the group consisting of C 2 -C 20 alkenyl, C 2 -C 20 alkynyl, C 1 -C 20 alkyl, aryl, C 1 -C 20 carboxylate, C 1 -C 20 alkoxy, C 2 -C 20 alkenyloxy, C 2 -C 20 alkynyloxy, aryloxy, C 2 -C 20 alkoxycarbonyl, C 1 -C 20 alkylthio, C 1 -C 20 alkylsulfonyl and C 1 -C 20 alkylsulfinyl; R 6 and R 7 are independently selected from any unsubstituted or halo-substituted alkyl, aryl, aralkyl groups or silicon-containing analogs thereof, wherein M is Os or Ru, R and R 1 are independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, substituted or unsubstituted alkyl, and substituted or unsubstituted alkyl X and X 1 are independently any anionic ligand, and L an L 1 are independently any neutral ligand; and optionally b) hydrogenating the product of step a).