Donor-Acceptor Complexes in Copolymerization. XXXV. Alternating Diene-Dienophile Copolymers. 3. Copolymerization of cis- and trans-1, 3-Pentadiene with Maleic Anhydride and Acrylonitrile… AlEt1.5CI1.5

The copolymerization of the cis or trans isomers of 1,3-pentadiene with maleic anhydride in the presence of a peroxide catalyst yields identical equimolar, alternating copolymers in which the pentadiene units have a cis-1, 4 configuration (IR, NMR). The copolymerization of the cis or trans isomers of 1, 3-pentadiene with acrylonitrile in the presence of ethyl aluminum sesquichloride yields identical equimolar, alternating copolymers in which the pentadiene units have a trans-1,4 configuration (IR, NMR). Although the trans isomer forms cyclic adducts with both maleic anhydride and acrylonitrile, the cis isomer does not undergo the Diels-Alder reaction with these dienophlles. The formation of identical copolymers from cis- and trans-1, 3-pentadiene is attributed to isomerization of the diene-dienophile charge transfer complex in the excited state, resulting in the generation of the same homopolymerizable exciplex from both isomers.