Aliphatic long-chain C20 polyesters from olefin metathesis.

Self-metathesis of undecenoic acid with [(PCy3)2Cl2Ru=CHPh] (2), followed by exhaustive hydrogenation yielded pure 1,20-eicosanedioic acid (5) (>99%) free of side-products from isomerization. Polycondensation with eicosane-1,20-diol (6), formed by reduction of the diol, yielded polyester 20,20 (Tm = 108 °C). By comparison, the known ADMET polymerization of undec-10-enyl undec-10-enoate (7), and subsequent exhaustive polymer-analogous hydrogenation yielded a polyester (poly-8) with irregular structure of the ester groups in the polymer chain (-O(C=O)- vs. -C(=O)O-) (Tm = 103 °C). Hydrogenation of secondary dispersions of poly-7 yielded aqueous dispersions of the long-chain aliphatic polyester poly-8.