Ruthenium initiated ring opening metathesis polymerisation of amino-acid and -ester functionalised norbornenes and a highly selective chain-end functionalisation reaction using molecular oxygen

[Ru(=CHPh)(PCy3)(2)Cl-2] is shown to initiate the living ring opening metathesis polymerisation of amino-acid and -ester functionalised norbornenes; treatment of the living polymers with molecular oxygen gives rise to a highly selective chain-end functionalisation reaction. (C) 2001 Elsevier 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd, Ail rights reserved.