Rhodium-Catalyzed Copolymerization of Norbornadienes and Norbornenes with Carbon Monoxide

Alternate copolymerization of norbornadienes and norbornenes with carbon monoxide is catalyzed by a rhodium complex under water gas shift reaction conditions selectively to give corresponding polyketones in high yields. The structures of copolymers have been characterized by spectral analyses as well as chemical reactions. On the basis of the structures of isolated co-oligomers, a copolymerization mechanism is proposed.