Large, Rapid Swelling of High-cis Polydicyclopentadiene Aerogels Suitable for Solvent-Responsive Actuators.

ABSTRACT: High-cis polydicyclopentadiene (PDCPD) aerogels were synthesized using ring opening metathesis polymerization (ROMP) of dicyclopentadiene (DCPD) with a relatively air-stable ditungsten catalytic system, Na[W2(-Cl)3Cl4(THF)2]·(THF)3 (W2; (W 3 W)6+, a΄2e΄4), and norbornadiene (NBD)as a co-initiator. These aerogels are compared in terms of chemical structure and material properties with literature PDCPD aerogels obtained using well-established Ru-based alkylidenes as catalysts. The use of NBD as a co-initiator enhances the degree of crosslinking versus the more frequently used phenylacetylene (PA), yielding materials with a controlled molecular structure that would persist solvent swelling. Indeed, those PDCPD aerogels absorb selected organic solvents (e.g., chloroform, tetrahydrofuran) and

SUBMITTER: Chriti D 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7284835 | biostudies-literature | 2020 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature