A versatile one-pot strategy for the synthesis of organosilicon-functionalized polyolefins

Abstract

We report a facile one-pot catalytic strategy for the synthesis of organosilicon-functionalized polyolefins — a long-standing challenge in polymer science. This streamlined approach integrates the hydrosilylation of polybutadiene with subsequent hydrogenation of the resulting silyl-functionalized intermediates, all under unified reaction conditions. The developed protocol exhibits exceptional functional group tolerance, enabling the incorporation of a broad spectrum of organic moieties that are typically incompatible with conventional copolymerization or post-polymerization methods. Remarkably, the degree of functionalization can be precisely tuned simply by adjusting the stoichiometric ratio of the organosilicon reagent to vinyl groups. This level of control, versatility, and simplicity has not been demonstrated previously in the functionalization of polyolefins. The methodology paves the way for the tailor-made design of advanced silicon-containing polyolefins with attractive functional groups, opening new avenues for applications in materials science, surface engineering, and beyond.