endo-Selective (3+2) cycloaddition polymerizations of nitrone monomers with olefins utilising high pressure conditions

A high pressure mediated (3+2) cycloaddition polymerization strategy has been employed to afford linear poly(isoxazolidine) architectures. Under these high pressure conditions this cycloaddition process was found to afford primarily endo-heterocycles which when translated to the polymerization should ultimately affect the tacticity and resultant properties of the polymer. The stereoselectivity occurred as a result of a lower volume of activation for the endo-transition state and the application of a ‘type-I’ regime (HOMODipole–LUMODipolarophile) cycloaddition process that features secondary orbital interactions within the extended molecular orbitals. A variety of linker segments were employed in an attempt to affect the physical properties of the polymeric cycloadducts such as Tg and solubility in order to tailor these materials for use in coating applications.