Olefin polymerization by cyclopentadienyltris(dimethylamido)titanium(IV) complexes

Several titanium(IV) complexes of the type Cp′Ti(NMe₂)₃ [Cp′ = cyclopentadienyl ( 1 ), (dimethylaminoethyl)cyclopentadienyl ( 2 ), indenyl ( 3 ), and pentamethylcyclopentadienyl ( 4 )] were prepared, and their catalytic properties in the polymerization of α‐olefins were examined. Complexes 1 and 2 catalyzed the polymerization of ethylene in the presence of methylaluminoxane with a much higher activity than 3 or 4 . Complexes 3 and 4 polymerized ethylene with an activity similar to that of CpTiCl₃ ( 6 ). The preactivation of 2 , 3 , or 4 with trimethylaluminum (TMA) resulted in an increase in ethylene polymerization activities. Also, 1 and 2 were successfully used as ethylene/1‐hexene copolymerization catalysts, producing polymers with various amounts of 1‐hexene incorporation, depending on the amount of 1‐hexene in the feed mixture. Complex 1 likewise effectively polymerized styrene with a higher activity and higher syndiospecificity than the other three catalysts. Complexes 3 and 4 polymerized styrene with low syndiospecificity, whereas 2 produced only atactic polystyrene. The preactivation of 3 or 4 with TMA resulted in an increase in styrene polymerization activities and increased the syndiotacticity percentage of the polymers produced. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 39: 313–319, 2001     

The syndiospecific polymerization of styrene in the presence of fluorine‐containing half‐sandwich metallocenes

The syndiospecific polymerization of styrene was investigated with the fluorine‐containing half‐sandwich complexes η⁵‐pentamethylcyclopentadienyl titanium bis(trifluoroacetate) dimer, η⁵‐octahydrofluorenyl titanium tristrifluoro‐acetate, η⁵‐octahydrofluorenyl titanium dimethoxymonotrifluoroacetate, and η⁵‐octahydrofluorenyl titanium tris(pentafluorobenzoate) in comparison to known chloride and methoxide complexes in the presence of relatively low amounts of methylalumoxane and triisobutylaluminum. After the selection of effective reaction conditions for a solvent‐free polymerization, the following orders of decreasing polymerization activity of the titanium complexes can be observed: for pentamethylcyclopentadienyl compounds, Cp*Ti(OMe)₃ > [Cp*Ti(OCOCF₃)₂]₂O ≈ Cp*TiCl₃, and for octahydrofluorenyl compounds, [656]Ti(OMe)₃ > [656]Ti(OCOC₆F₅)₃ > [656]Ti(OCH₃)₂(OCOCF₃) > [656]Ti (OCOCF₃)₃. The [656]Ti complexes, showing the highest polymerization conversions at 70 °C and in comparison with the Cp* Ti compounds, turned out to be highly efficient catalysts for the syndiospecific styrene polymerization. The fluorine‐containing Cp* and [656]Ti complexes lead to much higher molecular weights than the chloride and methoxide compounds because of a reduction in chain‐limiting transfer reactions. The introduction of only one fluorine‐containing ligand into the coordination sphere of the metal compound is obviously sufficient for a significant increase in molecular weight. The active polymerization sites of the [656]Ti complexes with methylalumoxane and triisobutylaluminum are extremely stable during storage at room temperature in regard to their polymerization activity. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 38: 2428–2439, 2000     

Titanium complexes bearing carbamato ligands as catalytic precursors for propylene polymerization reactions

This report describes propylene polymerization reactions with titanium complexes bearing carbamato ligands, Ti(O₂CNMe₂)Cl₂ ( I ) and Ti(O₂CR₂)₄ [R₂ = NMe₂ ( II ), NEt₂ ( III ) and ( IV )]. Combinations of these complexes and MAO form catalysts for the synthesis of atactic polypropylene, as confirmed by FT‐IR, DSC and ¹³C NMR analysis. Effects of main reaction parameters on the catalyst activity were studied including the type of complex, solvent, temperature, and the [Al]/[Ti] molar ratio. The highest activity was observed when chlorobenzene was used as a solvent and AlMe₃‐depleted MAO was employed as a cocatalyst. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2013 , 51, 4095–4102     

Titanium (IV) chloride complexes with salen ligands supported on magnesium carrier: Synthesis and use in ethylene polymerization

The magnesium support with the formula MgCl₂(THF)_0.32(Et₂AlCl)_0.36 was used for immobilization of salen complexes of titanium [Ti(salen)Cl₂, Ti(salen(OMe)₂)Cl₂]. The effects of the catalyst composition (i.e. type of titanium complex and type of activator), polymerization temperature, polymerization time, and the effect of comonomer (1‐octene) on the activity of the obtained supported catalysts, on the polymer characteristics (molecular weight, molecular weight distribution, melting point), and on the polymer morphology were studied. The findings were compared to those obtained for corresponding unsupported systems. Catalysts immobilization results in considerable changes in catalysts activity and in properties of resultant polymers. The studied supported catalysts are highly active in ethylene polymerization, their activity increases with increasing temperature and lasts at least 2 hours. Their copolymerizing ability towards 1‐octene is rather low. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 47: 6693–6703, 2009     

Ethylene polymerization with FI complexes having novel phenoxy‐imine ligands: Effect of metal type and complex immobilization

A series of bis(phenoxy‐imine) vanadium and zirconium complexes with different types of R³ substituents at the nitrogen atom, where R³ = phenyl, naphthyl, or anthryl, was synthesized and investigated in ethylene polymerization. Moreover, the catalytic performance was verified for three supported catalysts, which had been obtained by immobilization of bis[N‐(salicylidene)‐1‐naphthylaminato]M(IV) dichloride complexes (M = V, Zr, or Ti) on the magnesium carrier MgCl₂(THF)₂/Et₂AlCl. Catalytic performance of both supported and homogeneous catalysts was verified in conjunction with methylaluminoxane (MAO) or with alkylaluminium compounds (Et_nAlCl_3?n, n = 1–3). The activity of FI vanadium and zirconium complexes was observed to decline for the growing size of R³, whereas the average molecular weight (MW) of the polymers was growing for larger substituent. Moreover, vanadium complexes exhibited the highest activity with EtAlCl₂, whereas zirconium ones showed the best activity with MAO. All immobilized systems were most active in conjunction with MAO, and their activities were higher than those for their homogeneous counterparts, and they gave polymers with higher average MWs. That effect was in particular evident for the titanium catalyst. The vanadium complex 3 was also a good precursor for ethylene/1‐octene copolymerization; however, its immobilization reduced its potential for incorporation of a comonomer into a polyethylene chain. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem, 2011     

Synthesis,characterization, and ethylene (Co)polymerization behavior of trichlorotitanium 2‐(1‐(arylimino)propyl)quinolin‐8‐olates

A series of trichlorotitanium complexes containing 2‐(1‐(arylimino)propyl)quinolin‐8‐olates was synthesized by stoichiometric reaction of titanium tetrachloride with the corresponding potassium 2‐(1‐(arylimino)propyl)quinolin‐8‐olates and was fully characterized by elemental analysis, nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, and by single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction study of representative complexes. All titanium complexes, when activated with methylaluminoxane, exhibited high catalytic activity toward ethylene polymerization [up to 1.15 × 10⁶ g mol^?1(Ti) h^?1] and ethylene/α‐olefin copolymerization [up to 1.54 × 10⁶ g mol^?1 (Ti) h^?1]. The incorporation of comonomer was confirmed to amount up to 2.82 mol % of 1‐hexene or 1.94 mol % of 1‐octene, respectively. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem, 2011     

Homo‐ and copolymerization of ethylene and norbornene with bis(β‐diketiminato) titanium complexes activated with methylaluminoxane

Homo‐ and copolymerization of ethylene and norbornene were investigated with bis(β‐diketiminato) titanium complexes [ArNC(CR₃)CHC(CR₃)NAr]₂TiCl₂ (R = F, Ar = 2,6‐diisopropylphenyl 2a; R = F, Ar = 2,6‐dimethylphenyl 2b ; R = H, Ar = 2,6‐diisopropylphenyl 2c ; R = H, Ar = 2,6‐dimethylphenyl 2d) in the presence of methylaluminoxane (MAO). The influence of steric and electric effects of complexes on catalytic activity was evaluated. With MAO as cocatalyst, complexes 2a–d are moderately active catalysts for ethylene polymerization producing high‐molecular weight polyethylenes bearing linear structures, but low active catalysts for norbornene polymerization. Moreover, 2a – d are also active ethylene–norbornene (E–N) copolymerization catalysts. The incorporation of norbornene in the E–N copolymer could be controlled by varying the charged norbornene. ¹³C NMR analyses showed the microstructures of the E–N copolymers were predominantly alternated and isolated norbornene units in copolymer, dyad, and triad sequences of norbornene were detected in the E–N copolymers with high incorporated content of norbornene. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 46: 93–101, 2008     

Propylene polymerization with catalysts containing divalent titanium

The behavior in propylene polymerization of divalent titanium compounds of type [η⁶-areneTiAl₂Cl₈], both as such and supported on activated MgCl₂, has been studied and compared to that of the simple catalyst MgCl₂/TiCl₄. Triethylaluminium was used as cocatalyst. The Ti–arene complexes were active both in the presence and in the absence of hydrogen, in contrast to earlier reports that divalent titanium species are active for ethylene but not for propylene polymerization. ¹³C-NMR analysis of low molecular weight polymer fractions indicated that the hydrogen activation effect observed for the MgCl₂-supported catalysts should be ascribed to reactivation of 2,1-inserted (“dormant”) sites via chain transfer, rather than to (re)generation of active trivalent Ti via oxidative addition of hydrogen to divalent species. Decay in activity during polymerization was observed with both catalysts, indicating that for MgCl₂/TiCl₄ catalysts decay is not necessarily due to overreduction of Ti to the divalent state during polymerization. In ethylene polymerization both catalysts exhibited an acceleration rather than a decay profile. It is suggested that the observed decay in activity during propylene polymerization may be due to the formation of clustered species that are too hindered for propylene but that allow ethylene polymerization. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 35: 2645–2652, 1997     

Copolymerization behavior of titanium imidazolin‐2‐iminato complexes

Monocyclopentadienyl titanium imidazolin‐2‐iminato complexes [Cp′Ti(L)X₂] 1a (Cp′ = cyclopentadienyl, L = 1,3‐di‐tert‐butylimidazolin‐2‐imide, X = Cl), 1b (X = CH₃); 2 (Cp′ = cyclopentadienyl, L = 1,3‐diisopropylimidazolin‐2‐imide, X = Cl); 3 (Cp′ = tert‐butylcyclopentadienyl, L = 1,3‐di‐tert‐butylimidazolin‐2‐imide, X = Cl), upon activation with methylaluminoxane (MAO) were active for the polymerization of ethylene and propylene and the copolymerization of ethylene and 1‐hexene. Catalysts derived from imidazolin‐2‐iminato tropidinyl titanium complex 4 = [(Trop)Ti(L)Cl₂] (Trop = tropidinyl, L = 1,3‐di‐tert‐butylimidazolin‐2‐imide) were much less active. Narrow polydispersities were observed for ethylene and propylene polymerization, but the copolymerization of ethylene/hexene led to bimodal molecular weight distributions. The productivity of catalysts derived from the dialkyl complex 1b activated with [Ph₃C][B(C₆F₅)₄] or B(C₆F₅)₃ were less active for ethylene/hexene copolymerization but yielded ethylene/hexene copolymers of narrower molecular weight distributions than those derived from 1a/MAO. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 46: 6064–6070, 2008     

Catalytic synthesis of low molecular weight polyethylene by S-bridged Ti-complexes

A series of novel titanium(IV) complexes with S-bridged biphenol such as 5-tert-butyl-4-hydroxy-2-methyl phenyl sulfide (BHMPS) have been synthesized. These catalytic precursors formulated as [R₃Ti (O^O) TiR₃]_n were found to be highly active in polymerization of ethylene at high temperatures and pressures in combination with ethyl aluminium sesquichloride (Et₃Al₂Cl₃) as co-catalyst. The polyethylene yields range from 250–1600 Kg PE/mmole catalyst. The GPC of polymers typically correspond to ultra low molecular weight polyethylene with narrow polydispersities     

Ethylene polymerization of the new titanium complexes bearing a phosphine oxide‐bridged bisphenolato ligand

A series of novel titanium(IV) complexes combining a phosphine oxide‐bridged bisphenolato ligand TiCl₂{2,2′‐O?P‐R₃ (4‐R₂‐6‐R₁‐C₆H₂O)₂}(THF) ( 6a : R₁ = tBu, R₂ = H, R₃ = Ph; 6b : R₁ = Ph, R₂ = H, R₃ = Ph; 6c : R₁ = R₂ = tBu, R₃ = Ph; 6d : R₁ = R₂ = cumyl, R₃ = Ph; 6e : R₁ = tBu, R₂ = H, R₃ = PhF₅) were prepared by the reaction of corresponding bisphenolato ligands with TiCl₄ in THF. X‐ray analysis reveals that complex 6a adopts distorted octahedral geometry around the titanium center. These catalysts were performed for ethylene polymerization in the presence of modified methyaluminoxane (MMAO). The effects of reaction parameters on ethylene polymerization behaviors, such as cocatalyst concentration, polymerization temperature, and reaction time were studied in detail. In general, these new complexes exhibited high catalytic activity, good temperature tolerance, and long lifetime for ethylene polymerization. The resulting polymers possess high molecular weight, unimodal distribution, and linear structure. © Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 46: 7062–7073, 2008     

Rapid ring‐opening polymerization of 1,4‐dioxan‐2‐one initiated by titanium alkoxides

Ring‐opening polymerization of 1,4‐dioxan‐2‐one in bulk was initiated by three titanium alkoxides, titanium dichlorodiisopropoxide (TiCl₂(OiPr)₂), titanium chlorotriisopropoxide (TiCl(OiPr)₃), and titanium tetraisopropoxide (Ti(OiPr)₄). The results indicate that the polymerization rate increased with number of OiPr groups in the initiator. High conversion of monomer (90%) and high molecular weight (11.9 × 10⁴ g/mol) of resulting polymer can be achieved in only 5 min at 60 °C with Ti(OiPr)₄ as an initiator. Analysis on nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectra suggests the initiating sites for TiCl₂(OiPr)₂, TiCl(OiPr)₃, and Ti(OiPr)₄ to be 1.9, 2.6, and 3.8, respectively. Coordination‐insertion mechanism for the polymerization via cleavage of the acyl–oxygen bonds of the monomer was proved by NMR investigation. Kinetic studies indicate that polymerization initiated by Ti(OiPr)₄ followed a first‐order kinetics, with an apparent activation energy of 33.7 kJ/mol. It is noteworthy that this value is significantly lower than earlier reported values with other catalysts, namely La(OiPr)₃ (50.5 kJ/mol) and Sn(Oct)₂ (71.8 kJ/mol), which makes it an attractive catalyst for reactive extrusion polymerization. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem, 2010     

Living copolymerization of ethylene with norbornene mediated by heteroligated (Salicylaldiminato)(β‐enaminoketonato)titanium catalysts

Three heteroligated (salicylaldiminato)(β‐enaminoketonato)titanium complexes [3‐Bu^t‐2‐OC₆H₃CH?N(C₆F₅)][(p‐XC₆H₄)N?C(Bu^t)CHC(CF₃)O]TiCl₂ ( 3a : X = F, 3b : X = Cl, 3c : X = Br) were synthesized and investigated as the catalysts for ethylene polymerization and ethylene/norbornene copolymerization. In the presence of modified methylaluminoxane as a cocatalyst, these unsymmetric catalysts exhibited high activities toward ethylene polymerization, similar to their parallel parent catalysts. Furthermore, they also displayed favorable ability to efficiently incorporate norbornene into the polymer chains and produce high molecular weight copolymers under the mild conditions, though the copolymerization of ethylene with norbornene leads to relatively lower activities. The sterically open structure of the β‐enaminoketonato ligand is responsible for the high norbornene incorporation. The norbornene concentration in the polymerization medium had a profound influence on the molecular weight distribution of the resulting copolymer. When the norbornene concentration in the feed is higher than 0.4 mol/L, the heteroligated catalysts mediated the living copolymerization of ethylene with norbornene to form narrow molecular weight distribution copolymers (M_w/M_n < 1.20), which suggested that chain termination or transfer reaction could be efficiently suppressed via the addition of norbornene into the reaction medium. Polymer yields, catalytic activity, molecular weight, and norbornene incorporation can be controlled within a wide range by the variation of the reaction parameters such as comonomer content in the feed, reaction time, and temperature. ©2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 47: 6072–6082, 2009     

Branched polyethylene prepared by in situ copolymerization of ethylene with monotitanocene and modified methylaluminoxane catalyst

Branched polyethylene was synthesized in heptane used as a polymerization medium with monotitanocene catalyst composed of η⁵‐pentamethylcyclopentadienyl tribenzyloxy titanium and modified methylaluminoxane (mMAO) that contained different amounts of residual trimethylaluminum (TMA). The residual TMA more strongly reduced Ti(IV) complexes to Ti(III) and Ti(II) ones, and Ti(IV) active species were suggested to be more effective for ethylene polymerization. Influences of the polymerization temperature and Al/Ti molar ratio on the catalytic activity and the degree of branching, branch length, and molecular weight of polyethylene were investigated. The obtained polymers were confirmed by ¹³C NMR to be higher molecular weight polyethylene containing significant amounts of isolated ethyl branches, butyl branches, or both. Branched polyethylene was prepared by the in situ copolymerization of ethylene with 1‐butene and 1‐hexene, which were formed through a proposed mechanism including metallcycloheptane and metallcyclopentane intermediates of Ti(II) species that were produced by the reaction of Ti(IV) complexes with TMA coexisting in mMAO. There was a remarkable increase in the chance of 1‐butene being produced from metallcyclopentane of Ti(II) intermediates with an increase in the polymerization temperature. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 38: 4258–4263, 2000     

Syntheses of Some New Group 4 non-Cp Complexes Bearing Schiff-base, Thiophene Diamide Ligands Respectively and Their Catalytic Activities for a-Olefin Polymerization

Totally sixteen new titanium and zirconium non-Cp complexes supported by Schiff-base, or thiophene diamide ligands have been synthesized. The complexes are obtained by the reaction of M(OPr-i)4(M=Ti,Zr) with the corresponding Schiff-base ligand in 1:1 molar ratio in good yield. The thiophene diamide titanium complex has been prepared from trimethylsilyl amine [N,S,N] ligand and TiCl4 in toluene at 120℃. All complexes are well charac-terized by ^1H NMR, IR, MS and elemental analysis. When activated by excess methylaluminoxane (MAO), complexes show moderate catalytic activity for ethylene polymerization, and complex If (R^1=CH3,R^2=Br) exhibits the highest activity for ethylene and styrene polymerization. When the complexes were preactivated by triethylaluminum (TEA), both polymerization activities and syndiotacticity of the polymers were greatly improved.     

Control of molecular weight in polymerization of vinyl chloride with Cp*Ti(OPh)3/MAO catalyst

Polymerization of vinyl chloride (VC) with titanium complexes containing Ti‐OPh bond in combination with methylaluminoxane (MAO) catalysts was investigated. Among the titanium complexes examined, Cp*Ti(OPh)₃/MAO catalyst (Cp*; pentamethylcyclopentadienyl, Ph; C₆H₅) gave the highest activity for the polymerization of VC, but the polymerization rate was slow. From the kinetic study on the polymerization of VC with Cp*Ti(OPh)₃/MAO catalyst, the relationship between the M_n of the polymer and the polymer yields gave a straight line, and the line passed through the origin. The M_w/M_n values of the polymer gradually decrease as a function of polymer yields, but the M_w/M_n values were somewhat broad. This may be explained by a slow initiation in the polymerization of VC with Cp*Ti(OPh)₃/MAO catalyst. The results obtained in this study demonstrate that the molecular weight control of the polymers is possible in the polymerization of VC with the Cp*Ti(OPh)₃/MAO catalyst. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 45: 3872–3876, 2007     

Syndiospecific polymerization of styrene with BzCpTiCl3 and methylaluminoxane as cocatalysts

Benzyl cyclopentadienyl titanium trichloride (BzCpTiCl₃) was synthesized from benzyl bromide, cyclopentadienyl lithium, and titanium tetrachloride and used in combination with methylaluminoxane (MAO) for the syndiospecific polymerization of styrene. Kinetic measurements of the polymerization were carried out at different temperatures. The polymerization with BzCpTiCl₃/MAO differs from the polymerization with cyclopentadienyl titanium trichloride in its behavior toward the Al/Ti ratio. In addition, high activities are observed at high Al/Ti ratios. By analyzing the polymerization runs and the physical properties of the polymers with differential scanning calorimetry, ¹³C NMR spectroscopy, wide‐angle X‐ray scattering measurements, and gel permeation chromatography, we found that the phenyl ring coordinates to the titanium atom during polymerization. Other known substitutions of the cyclopentadienyl ring (V. Scholz, Dissertation, University of Hamburg, 1998) in principle influence the polymerization activity. The physical properties of the polymers produced by the catalysts already known are nearly identical. BzCpTiCl₃ is the first catalyst that leads to polystyrene obviously different from the polystyrene produced by other highly active catalysts. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 39: 2805–2812, 2001     

Binuclear titanium complexes coordinated by rigid p-phenylene linked bis-β-carbonylenamine: Synthesis,structure, ethylene polymerization and copolymerization with 1,5-hexadiene

Binuclear complexes for olefin polymerization have attracted great attention due to their unique catalytic properties compared with their mononuclear counterparts. Here a series of p-phenylene-bridgedbis-β-carbonylenamine ligands and their binuclear Ti complexes Ti ₂ L ¹ – Ti ₂ L ³ were prepared and characterized by ¹H NMR, ¹³C NMR, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and elemental analysis. The binuclear complex Ti ₂ L ³ bearing an octylthio sidearm was further investigated by single-crystalX-ray diffraction, which revealed that the ligand was of β-imino enol form, with one titanium atom ligated with six other atoms, forming a deformed octahedral configuration. Furthermore, the ligand in Ti ₂ L ³ adopted a cis configuration, which was different from the trans configuration of its m-phenylene-bridged derivatives. These binuclear complexes ( Ti ₂ L ¹ – Ti ₂ L ³ ) could catalyze ethylene polymerization and copolymerization with 1,5-hexadiene(1,5-HD) efficiently under modified methylaluminoxane activation. Compared with the mononuclear complex TiL ⁵ , the binuclear catalysts were thermally more stable and showed higher activity for ethylene polymerization at higher temperatures. The activity of these titanium complexes for the copolymerization of ethylene with 1,5-HD were over 10⁶ g/mol Ti.h.atm, almost twice as high as for homopolymerization. Compared with the mononuclear analogue TiL ⁵ and the m-substituted binuclear derivative Ti ₂ L ⁴ , binuclear catalyst Ti ₂ L ² showed higher activity and insertion rate of the comonomer. The activity of Ti ₂ L ² was two to three times higher than that of TiL ⁵ and Ti ₂ L ⁴ , indicating that p-substituted binuclear catalysts generate clear bimetallic synergistic effect for the copolymerization of ethylene and 1,5-HD. Meanwhile, 1,5-HD takes 1,3-cyclopentyl form in the polymer by 1,3-insertion. The copolymer prepared by binuclear catalysts had higher molecular weight and wider molecular weight distribution than that prepared by the mononuclear catalyst.     

Olefin polymerization and copolymerization by complexes bearing [ONNO]‐Type salan ligands: Effect of ligand structure and metal type (titanium,zirconium, and vanadium)

A series of novel titanium(IV) complexes bearing tetradentate [ONNO] salan type ligands: [Ti{2,2′‐(OC₆H₃‐5‐t‐Bu)₂‐NHRNH}Cl₂] (Lig¹TiCl₂: R = C₂H₄; Lig²TiCl₂: R = C₄H₈; Lig³TiCl₂: R = C₆H₁₂) and [Ti{2,2′‐(OC₆H₂‐3,5‐di‐t‐Bu)₂‐NHC₆H₁₂NH}Cl₂] (Lig⁴TiCl₂) were synthesized and used in the (co)polymerization of olefins. Vanadium and zirconium complexes: [ M{2,2′‐(OC₆H₃‐3,5‐di‐t‐Bu)₂‐NHC₆H₁₂NH}Cl₂] (Lig⁴VCl₂: M = V; Lig⁴ZrCl₂: M = Zr) were also synthesized for comparative investigations. All the complexes turned out active in 1‐octene polymerization after activation by MAO and/or Al(i‐Bu)₃/[Ph₃C][B(C₆F₅)₄]. The catalytic performance of titanium complexes was strictly dependent on their structures and it improves for the increasing length of the aliphatic linkage between nitrogen atoms (Lig¹TiCl₂ << Lig²TiCl₂ < Lig³TiCl₂) and declines after adding additional tert‐Bu group on the aromatic rings (Lig³TiCl₂ < Lig⁴TiCl₂). The activity of all titanium complexes in ethylene polymerization was moderate and the properties of polyethylene was dependent on the ligand structure, cocatalyst type, and reaction conditions. The Et₂AlCl‐activated complexes gave polymers with lover molecular weights and bimodal distribution, whereas ultra‐high molecular weight PE (up to 3588 kg mol^?1) and narrow MWD was formed for MAO as a cocatalyst. Vanadium complex yielded PE with the highest productivity (1925.3 kg mol_v^?1), with high molecular weight (1986 kg mol^?1) and with very narrow molecular weight distribution (1.5). Copolymerization tests showed that titanium complexes yielded ethylene/1‐octene copolymers, whereas vanadium catalysts produced product mixtures. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2014 , 52, 2111–2123     

N‐(2‐benzimidazolylquinolin‐8‐yl)benzamidate half‐titanocene chlorides: Synthesis,characterization and their catalytic behavior toward ethylene polymerization

A series of N‐(2‐benzimidazolyquinolin‐8‐yl)benzamidate half‐titanocene chlorides, Cp′TiLCl ( C1 – C8 : Cp′ = C₅H₅, MeC₅H₄, or C₅Me₅; L = N‐(benzimidazolyquinolin‐8‐yl)benzamides)), was synthesized by the KCl elimination reaction of half‐titanocene trichlorides with the correspondent potassium N‐(2‐benzimidazolyquinolin‐8‐yl)benzamide. These half‐titanocene complexes were fully characterized by elemental and NMR analyses, and the molecular structures of complexes C2 and C8 were determined by the single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction. The high stability of the pentamethylcyclopentadienyl complex ( C8 ) was evident by no decomposing nature of its solution in air for one week. The oxo‐bridged dimeric complex ( C9 ) was isolated from the solution of the corresponding cyclopentadienyl complex ( C3 ) solution in air. Complexes C1 – C8 exhibited good to high catalytic activities toward ethylene polymerization and ethylene/α‐olefin copolymerization in the presence of methylaluminoxane (MAO) cocatalyst. In the typical catalytic system of C1/ MAO, the polymerization productivities were enhanced with either elevating reaction temperature or increasing the ratio of MAO to titanium precursor. In general, it was observed that higher the catalytic activity of the catalytic system lower the molecular weight of polyethylene. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 47: 3154–3169, 2009