%0 journal article
%@ 1042-7147
%A Neffe, A.T., Chua, K., Luetzow, K., Pierce, B.F., Lendlein, A., Abell, A.D.

%D 2014
%J Polymers for Advanced Technologies
%N 11
%P 1371-1375 
%R doi:10.1002/pat.3359
%T Crosslinking of gelatin by ring opening metathesis under aqueous conditions - An exploratory study
%U https://doi.org/10.1002/pat.3359
11 
%X Ring-opening metathesis catalysis has received little attention as a means to functionalize or crosslink biopolymers in water since the required catalysts are usually not stable under these conditions. However, biopolymer solubility suggests such a procedure. We show that Grubbs first and second generation catalysts (in emulsion) as well as a water-soluble Hoveyda-Grubbs catalyst can be applied to crosslink glycidyl methacrylated gelatin with norbornene dicarboxylic acid in water by a cross metathesis-ring opening metathesis approach. A mechanistic study suggests that cross metathesis between the functionalized polymer and the cyclic olefin acts as an initiating step for the crosslinking reaction.