Ruthenium-catalyzed co-metathesis of soybean oil with bicyclic olefins

Abstract

The ring-opening co-metathesis polymerization (ROMP) of norbornadiene and norbornene derivatives with soybean oil has been performed using Grubbs' ruthenium catalyst (CY3p)2Cl2Ru=CHPh. The co-metathesized soybean oils have molecular weights of 1,800 to 12,000 and exhibit improved air drying times when compared to pure soybean oil. Norbornene derivative 2 and 7-oxanorbornene derivative 3 have been synthesized using literature procedures, and the resulting co-polymers easily dissolve in polar solvents, such as acetone.