Alternating Copolymers: Maleic Anhydride with Cyclic Olefins. Influence of the Cyclic Olefin on the Copolymerization Process and Properties of the Copolymers

Maleic anhydride has been copolymerized with various cyclic olefins such as cyclohexene, cyclooctene, cyclododecene, norbornene, indene and thiophene. The resulting copolymers are alternating and the mechanism of the reaction can be explained by a charge-transfer complex. The influence of the starting cyclic olefin has been studied, and showing that the rate of the reaction largely depends on the nature of the olefin.