Synthesis of Novel Polymers via ROMP of Benzyne‐Derived Monomers and Their NMR Spectroscopic Properties

Dehydrohalogenation of 1,4‐dihalobenzenes and 1,2,4‐trichlorobenzene is performed using n‐BuLi to form benzynes. These benzynes are used as dienophiles in a Diels–Alder reaction with the dienes furan and 2,5‐dimethylfuran to prepare new benzonorbornadiene derivatives. The cycloadducts of furan are polymerized by a ring‐opening metathesis reaction using a Hoveyda–Grubbs ruthenium catalyst. The polymers are characterized by ¹H NMR (nuclear magnetic resonance), and unambiguous proton chemical shift assignments are based on the multiplicity pattern of proton resonances. This is confirmed by 2D NMR data from HSQC(Heteronuclear Single Quantum Coherence) and COSY (Correlation Spectroscopy) spectra. The polybenzonorbornadienes have both cis and trans conformation in their chemical structure. The trans conformation is qualitatively in greater proportion observed at ¹H NMR experiments. These materials may have syndiotactic microstructure by the lack of correlations in COSY.