Crystalline syndiotactic copolymers from arylcyclobutene functional monomers and vinyl aromatic monomers

Claim 2

A crystalline copolymer having a stereoregular structure of greater than 50 percent syndiotactic comprising the coordination polymerized reaction product of at least one monomer corresponding to the formula: ##STR4## wherein Ar is an aryl moiety having adjacent ring carbons thereof covalently bonded to one or more 1,2-ethanediyl or substituted ethanediyl groups; R is hydrogen, an electron donating moiety or an electron-withdrawing moiety; and m is an integer of at least 1; and one or more vinylaromatic monomers.

Claim 3

A copolymer of claim 1 wherein the at least one monomer is represented by the formula: ##STR5##

Claim 4

A copolymer of claim 2, wherein the at least one monomer is represented by the following formula: ##STR6##

Claim 5

A copolymer of claim 1, wherein the vinyl aromatic monomers are represented by the formula: ##STR7## wherein each R' is independently hydrogen; an aliphatic, cycloaliphatic or aromatic hydrocarbon group having from 1 to 10 carbon atoms; or a halogen atom.

Claim 6

A copolymer of claim 4, wherein each occurrence of the vinylaromatic monomer is styrene.

Claim 7

A process for preparing a crystalline copolymer having a stereoregular structure of greater than 50 percent syndiotactic which comprises contacting at least one monomer corresponding to the formula: ##STR8## wherein Ar is an aryl moiety having adjacent ring carbons thereof covalently bonded to one or more 1,2-ethanediyl or substituted ethanediyl groups; R is hydrogen, an electron donating moiety or an electron-withdrawing moiety; and m is an integer of at least 1; and one or more vinylaromatic monomers under coordination polymerization reaction conditions in the presence of a catalytically effective amount of a catalyst comprising a transition metal compound and a polyalkylaluminoxane or a compound represented by the formula: CpMX.sub.n.sup.+ A.sup.- wherein: Cp is a single η 5 -cyclopentadienyl or η 5 -substituted cyclopentadienyl group optionally covalently bonded to M through a substituent; M is a metal of Group IIIB, IVB, VB, VIB, VIII or the Lanthanide Series of the Periodic Table bound in an η 5 bonding mode to the cyclopentadienyl or substituted cyclopentadienyl group; X is independently each occurrence halo, alkyl, aryl, N--R 2 , aryloxy or alkoxy of up to 20 carbons; R is alkyl or aryl of up to 10 carbons; n is one or two depending on the valence of M; and A is a noncoordinating, compatible anion of a Bronsted acid salt.

Claim 8

A process for preparing a crystalline copolymer having a stereoregular structure of greater than 50 percent syndiotactic which comprises contacting at least one monomer corresponding to the formula: ##STR8## wherein Ar is an aryl moiety having adjacent ring carbons thereof covalently bonded to one or more 1,2-ethanediyl or substituted ethanediyl groups; R is hydrogen, an electron donating moiety or an electron-withdrawing moiety; and m is an integer of at least 1; and one or more vinylaromatic monomers under coordination polymerization reaction conditions in the presence of a catalytically effective amount of a catalyst comprising a transition metal compound and a polyalkylaluminoxane or a compound represented by the formula: CpMX.sub.n.sup.+ A.sup.- wherein: Cp is a single η 5 -cyclopentadienyl or η 5 -substituted cyclopentadienyl group optionally covalently bonded to M through a substituent; M is a metal of Group IIIB, IVB, VB, VIB, VIII or the Lanthanide Series of the Periodic Table bound in an η 5 bonding mode to the cyclopentadienyl or substituted cyclopentadienyl group; X is independently each occurrence halo, alkyl, aryl, N--R 2 , aryloxy or alkoxy of up to 20 carbons; R is alkyl or aryl of up to 10 carbons; n is one or two depending on the valence of M; and A is a noncoordinating, compatible anion of a Bronsted acid salt.

Claim 9

A process of claim 6, wherein the polymerization is conducted at a temperature of from 0° C. to 120° C.

Claim 10

A process of claim 6, wherein the polymerization is conducted for 5 minutes to 20 hours.

Claim 11

A process of claim 6, wherein the copolymerization is conducted in the presence of a solvent selected from toluene, iso-octane, iso-nonane, hexane, heptane or a mixture thereof.

Claim 12

A process of claim 6, wherein the at least one monomer is a vinylbenzocyclobutene.

Claim 13

A process of claim 10, wherein the at least one monomer is represented by the formula: ##STR9##

Claim 14

A process of claim 6, wherein the vinylaromatic monomer is represented by the formula: ##STR10## wherein each R' is independently hydrogen; an aliphatic, cycloaliphatic or aromatic hydrocarbon group having from 1 to 10 carbon atoms; or a halogen atom.

Claim 15

A process of claim 12, wherein the vinylaromatic monomer is styrene.

Claim 16

A crosslinked crystalline polymer prepared by subjecting a mixture comprising the copolymer of claim 1 to a temperature suitable for crosslinking the copolymer.

Claim 17

A crosslinked crystalline polymer of claim 14 wherein the crosslinking is effected at from 100° C. to 320° C.

Claim 18

A crosslinked crystalline polymer according to claim 14 wherein the mixture additionally comprises a composition capable of undergoing addition polymerization under ring-opening conditions.

Claim 19

A composition prepared by subjecting a mixture comprising the crystalline copolymer of claim 1 and another polymerizable component to a temperature suitable for crosslinking the polymer.