Catalysts from self-assembled organometallic block copolymers

A poly(vinylferrocene-block-isoprene) copolymer (FI) was synthesized by sequential anioninc polymerization of vinyl ferrocene and isoprene. The polymer was then oxidized using silver triflate in a benzene/methanol mixture to obtain a poly(vinylferrocenium triflate-block-isoprene) (FTI) copolymer. It was studied that the addition of silver salt to the FI solution led to immediate color change from orange to blue. The oxidation was followed by centrifugation, filtration, and freeze-drying. The freeze dried polymers were pressed in to discs and were exposed to electron-beam cross-linking.