Acyclic diene metathesis

Acyclic diene metathesis or 'ADMET' (distinguish from ADME) is a special type of olefin metathesis used to polymerize terminal dienes to polyenes: The new double bonds formed can be in cis- or trans-configurations.

The polybutadiene had a weight average molar mass (Mw) of 28,000 with over 70% trans double bonds.

Because of the higher degree of control in ADMET than in traditional radical polymerizations, it has been used to synthesize model polymers that would otherwise be difficult to prepare.

Examples include purely linear polyethylene, alternating and block copolymers of ethylene with various other vinyl monomers, chiral polymers and polymers with embedded amino acids.

[3] The high functional group tolerance of ruthenium-catalyzed ADMET has been applied in the synthesis of new supramolecular structures.