Insertion Homo‐ and Copolymerization of Diallyl Ether

Abstract The previously unresolved issue of polymerization of allyl monomers CH 2 CHCH 2 X is overcome by a palladium‐catalyzed insertion polymerization of diallyl ether as a monomer. An enhanced 2,1‐insertion of diallyl ether as compared to mono‐allyl ether retards the formation of an unreactive five‐membered cyclic O ‐chelate (after 1,2‐insertion) that otherwise hinders further polymerization, and also enhances incorporation in ethylene polymers (20.4 mol %). Cyclic ether repeat units are formed selectively (96 %–99 %) by an intramolecular insertion of the second allyl moiety of the monomer. These features even enable a homopolymerization to yield polymers (poly‐diallyl ether) with degrees of polymerization of DP n ≈44.