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Polynorbornenes are ideal materials for systematic structure–property investigations designed to correlate gas-transport properties to polymer structure. The modular nature of norbornene-based systems provides a facile route towards the synthesis of diverse polymeric materials. Though many valuable correlations between gas-permeability and polynorbornene structure have been summarized in a prior review (2017), many of these efforts focused heavily on the design of materials with high permeabilities. More recently, the design of next-generation polynorbornene membranes has shifted toward the development of materials that are highly selective for multiple targeted gas separations. Since 2017, tremendous progress has been realized in the preparation of stable and highly selective polynorbornenes for membrane-based gas separations. Examples include polynorbornene derivatives that exhibit very high selectivity for CO2/N2 and light hydrocarbon (e.g., C3+/C1) separations, some of which exhibit gas separation performances that approach or exceed the 2008 upper bound. Herein, we summarize prior findings, present recent developments in the field of advanced polynorbornene membrane materials for targeted gas separations, and provide an outlook for the future of this field of research.

New norbornene-based functional multiblock copolymers containing ethylene–vinyl acetate/vinyl alcohol sequences are synthesized via the olefin cross-metathesis reaction of polynorbornene with poly(5-acetoxy-1-octenylene) followed by CC bond hydrogenation and acetoxy group deprotection. Macromolecular cross-metathesis, a recently developed type of interchange reaction, was carried out in the presence of Grubbs’ ruthenium catalysts and monitored by in situ1H NMR and ex situ13C NMR spectroscopy. This results in copolymer formation and its gradual randomization by segment reshuffling promoted by polymer-based Ru-carbenes. The kinetic study reveals that, despite the presence of bulky acetoxy substituents in polyoctenamer chains, Grubbs’ catalyst interacts with them more easily than with polynorbornene chains, which have cyclopentane rings in the backbone. The rate of the subsequent interchange reaction is controlled by the interaction of [Ru]-poly(5-acetoxy-1-octenylene) carbenes with norbornene units. It is found that the acetoxy groups markedly slow down the interaction of [Ru]-polynorbornene carbenes with the CC bonds in octenamer units. Since these carbenes are relatively unstable, they cause a noticeable decay of the reaction active centers. Our study demonstrates that the chain structure and, therefore, physico-chemical characteristics of multiblock copolymers can be tailored by adjusting the cross-metathesis conditions, such as the polymer concentration, polymer to catalyst ratio, and reaction time. Polymer-analogous reactions of hydrogenation and deacetylation transform octenamer units into ethylene–vinyl acetate/vinyl alcohol segments and thus open up more possibilities for tuning the thermal, gas barrier, and hydrophobic/hydrophilic properties of the synthesized norbornene-based multiblock copolymers.

Copolymers of norbornene and cyclooctene were synthesized for the first time by the cross-metathesis of polynorbornene with polyoctenamer. This strategy made it possible to use the 1st generation Grubbs catalyst, which exhibits low activity toward copolymerization of those monomers. Statistical multiblock copolymers with average block lengths varying from 200 to 2 units were obtained.