| abstract |
Process for the production of hydrogenated, ring-opened metathesis (co)polymers from cyclic olefins using the ruthenium-carbene complexes of the general formula (I) ##STR1## in which R 1 and R 2 mutually independently mean hydrogen, C 2 -C 20 alkenyl, C 1 -C 20 alkyl, aryl, C 1 -C 20 carboxylate, C 1 -C 20 alkoxy, C 2 -C 20 alkenyloxy, aryloxy, C 2 -C 20 alkoxycarbon-yl,C 1 -C 20 alkylthio, which may optionally be substituted by C 1 -C 5 alkyl, halogen, C 1 -C 5 alkoxy or by phenyl optionally substituted by C 1 -C 5 alkyl, halogen, C 1 -C 5 alkoxy; n X 1 and X 2 mutually independently mean any desired anionic ligand; n L 1 and L 2 mutually independently mean any desired neutral electron donor n and two or three of X 1 , X 2 , L 1 and L 2 may furthermore together form a multi-dentate chelating ligand, n as catalysts for the polymerisation stage, wherein the catalyst is optionally modified after polymerisation by adding a modifier and the polymerisation product is hydrogenated as a solution (optionally diluted with the same inert solvent as during polymerisation or with another inert solvent) without addition of an extra hydrogenation catalyst at temperatures of 0° C. to 200° C. preferably of 35° C. to 150° C. under a hydrogen pressure of 2 to 200 bar, preferably of 10 to 50 bar, wherein at least 60%, preferably at least 95% of the olefinic double bonds are saturated. |