Frontal ring-opening metathesis polymerization (FROMP) offers an energy-efficient method for manufacturing high-performance thermoset resins. However, the background reaction attributed to ring-opening metathesis polymerization (ROMP) results in a complex trade-off between the resin shelf life─necessary for practical manufacturability─and the front velocity. Here, we study the influence of alkylidene ligand selection in Grubbs' second-generation Ru-initiators on the kinetics of FROMP and background ROMP. We reveal that ligand identity differentially affects FROMP and background ROMP reactivity, enabling tunable control over pot life and front speed. Leveraging this insight, we use active learning with multiobjective Bayesian optimization to efficiently explore the FROMP resin design space and identify superior resin formulations. This work advances the rational design of FROMP resins, expanding the range of accessible formulations and accelerating the discovery of high-performance materials for energy-efficient manufacturing applications.

前向开环易位聚合（FROMP）为制造高性能热固性树脂提供了一种节能的方法。然而，由于开环易位聚合（ROMP）的背景反应，树脂保质期和前端速度之间存在复杂的权衡关系，而这种保质期对于实际可制造性是必要的。在这里，我们研究了Grubbs第二代钌引发剂中的亚烯基配体选择对FROMP和背景ROMP动力学的影响。我们发现配体的种类会不同地影响FROMP和背景ROMP的反应活性，从而可以调节树脂的保质期和前端速度。利用这一见解，我们使用主动学习与多目标贝叶斯优化高效探索了FROMP树脂的设计空间，并识别出了更优的树脂配方。这项工作推进了对FROMP树脂理性设计的理解，扩大了可获得的配方范围，并加速了用于节能制造应用的高性能材料的发现。