Microstructure of polyisoprene produced by cationic polymerization: NMR spectroscopic study

High-resolution (1)H and (13)C NMR spectroscopy, including two-dimensional heteronuclear experiments, has been used to study the microstructure of polyisoprene produced by cationic polymerization. It is shown that macromolecules resulting from both regular and inverse additions are predominantly composed of trans-1,4-units, while 1,2- and 3,4-units are present in small amounts. NMR spectra demonstrate the absence of cis-1,4-units in the polymer, whereas broad signals (pedestals) are related to the presence of saturated structures. It is proposed to determine the content of trans-1,4-, 1,2-, and 3,4-units in cationic polyisoprene via the combined measurements of intensities of signals in the olefinic regions of (1)H and (13)C NMR spectra.