UV‐Visible Spectroscopic Study of rac‐Et(Ind)2ZrCl2/Aluminoxanes

The UV‐visible spectroscopic study of the interaction between rac‐Et(Ind)₂ZrCl₂ and different aluminoxanes, such as isobutylaluminoxane (BAO) and ethyl(isobutyl)aluminoxane (EBAO), was conducted under normal polymerization conditions. UV‐visible absorption spectra of rac‐Et(Ind)₂ZrCl₂/aluminoxanes were correlated with the formation of ionic zirconium species. The influence of different aluminoxanes on the tightness of the metallocenium‐aluminoxane ionic pairs was interpreted in terms of the aluminoxane structure. The loose ionic pairs formed in the EBAO system causes a fast decaying kinetic profile, advantageous for copolymerization.     

Ethyl‐iso‐butylaluminoxane activated metallocene catalyst for olefin polymerization

Ethylene and propylene were polymerized by different combinations of metallocenes and aluminoxanes. Ethyl‐iso‐butylaluminoxane (EBAO), which could be easily obtained by direct hydrolysis of Et₃Al/iso‐Bu₃Al in toluene with water, displayed as good polymerization activity as methylaluminoxane when it was paired with some metallocenes. The UV–visible spectroscopic study on different metallocene/aluminoxane pairs suggests that tightness of the ionic pairs generated from the reaction between metallocene and aluminoxane is different for a fixed metallocenium. The loose ionic pair derived from EBAO prefers the monomer propagation and hinders the interaction between active species, which results in high catalytic activity and molecular weight. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 41: 998–1003, 2003     

Performance of various activators in ethylene polymerization based on an iron(II) catalyst system

Ethylisobutylaluminoxane (EBAO) and its analogues were synthesized by a reaction between an triethylaluminum (Et₃Al)/triisobutylaluminum (i‐Bu₃Al) mixture and 4‐fluorobenzeneboronic acid, phenylboronic acid, or n‐butaneboronic acid and subsequent hydrolysis with water. They were used as cocatalysts in ethylene polymerization catalyzed by an iron complex {[(ArN?C(Me))₂C₅H₃N]FeCl₂, where Ar is 2,6‐diisopropylphenyl}. Polyethylene with a high molecular weight and a narrow molecular weight distribution was prepared with modified EBAOs, and the performance of the iron complex at high polymerization temperatures was greatly improved. The activators for the iron complex also affected the polymerization activity and the molecular weight of the resultant polyethylene. It was suggested that the stereo and electronic effects of the substitute groups of aluminoxane contributed to the improved performance of the new activators. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 42: 1093–1099, 2004     

混合铝氧烷的紫外研究及其对乙烯聚合的影响

自从 Kaminsky发现茂金属 /MAO催化体系具有高聚合活性以来 ,人们对茂金属 /MAO体系进行了大量研究 ,以确定活性中心的性质[1～ 7] .一般认为 ,活性中心是阳离子型的 ,并与 [MAOX- ]阴离子形成离子对 [L2 Mt X]+ [MAOX]- ,其中 Mt=Ti,Zr,Hf… ,X=Cl,CH3 … .Marks等 [8,9] 的研究结果表明 ,活性中心离子对的疏松程度对烯烃聚合活性有较大影响 .Giannetti等 [6]认为 ,茂金属 /铝氧烷体系形成的活性中心的紫外吸收波长与金属原子的正电性相关 ,可以通过紫外吸收来反映活性中心离子对的疏松程度 .为了进一步证明离子对的性质对聚合…     

A kinetic study of metallocene‐catalyzed ethylene polymerization using different aluminoxane cocatalysts

The kinetics of ethylene polymerization using homogeneous Cp₂ZrCl₂/aluminoxane catalysts in toluene has been investigated at 70 °C with an ethylene pressure of 30 psi. Four aluminoxanes were used: methylaluminoxane, modified methylaluminoxanes with a fraction of methyl groups substituted with isobutyl (MMAO‐4) or octyl (MMAO‐12) groups, and polymethylaluminoxane (PMAO‐IP). The cocatalyst‐to‐catalyst ratio, [Al]/[Zr], varied from 1000 to 10,000. The experimental results obtained using the four cocatalysts were compared and a model was proposed to fit the rate of polymerization as a function of polymerization time and [Al]/[Zr] ratio. Molecular weight distributions with polydispersities between three and four indicate the presence of more than one active site type. We proposed a model that explained these broad molecular weight distributions using an unstable active complex that is formed in the early stages of the reaction and is transformed over time to a more stable active complex via an intermediate. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 45: 1677–1690, 2007     

Polymer-supported Ziegler–Natta catalysts. I. A preliminary study of catalyst synthesis

Polymer-supported Ziegler–Natta catalysts based on various polymer carriers were synthesized by different methods, including (1) loading TiCl₄ directly onto the polymer supports; (2) loading TiCl₄ onto the polymer supports modified by magnesium chloride (MgCl₂); (3) loading TiCl₄ onto the polymer supports modified by Grignard reagent (RMgCl); and (4) loading TiCl₄ onto the polymer supports modified by magnesium alkyls (MgR₂). The activity and kinetic features of the catalysts for ethylene polymerization were examined. Among the combinations tested, the best was found to be TiCl₄/n-Bu₂Mg.Et₃Al/poly(ethylene-co-acrylic acid) (92:8), which produced a catalyst of very high activity for ethylene polymerization. © 1994 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Stability of boronic esters - Structural effects on the relative rates of transesterification of 2-(phenyl)-1,3,2-dioxaborolane

Relative rates of reaction of the achiral cyclic phenylboronic ester 2-(phenyl)-1,3,2-dioxaborolane with a wide variety of structurally modified diols, have been studied to understand the factors influencing the relative stabilities of boronic esters. It is found that the alkyl substituents on the α-carbons of diols slow down the transesterification, but produce thermodynamically more stable boronic ester. Six-membered boronic esters are thermodynamically more stable than their corresponding five-membered analogs. Amongst cyclic 1,2-diols, cis-1,2-cyclopentanediol displaces ethylene glycol instantaneously whereas trans-1,2-cyclopentanediol is totally unreactive, which suggests that the cis-stereochemistry of the 1,2-diol is a prerequisite for transesterification. Among the 1,5-diols, diethanolamine displaces ethylene glycol quite rapidly forming a more stable bicyclic chelate in which nitrogen is attached to boron by a coordinating bond (as evident by ¹¹B NMR spectroscopy). The oxygen atom of di(ethylene glycol) and the sulfur atom of 2,2′-thiodiethanol do not assist in displacing the ethylene glycol from their boronic esters.     

Facile and Versatile Synthesis of End-Functionalized Poly(phenylacetylene)s: A Multicomponent Catalytic System for Well-Controlled Living Polymerization of Phenylacetylenes

A rhodium-based multicomponent catalytic system for well-controlled living polymerization of phenylacetylenes has been developed. The catalytic system is composed of readily available and bench-stable [Rh(nbd)Cl]₂, aryl boronic acid derivatives, diphenylacetylene, 50 % aqueous KOH, and PPh₃. This system offers a method for the facile and versatile synthesis of various end-functionalized cis-stereoregular poly(phenylacetylene)s because components from aryl boronic acids and diphenylacetylene were introduced to the initiating end of the polymers. The polymerization reaction shows a typical living nature with a high initiation efficiency, and the molecular weight of the resulting poly(phenylacetylene)s can be readily controlled with very narrow molecular-weight distributions (M_w/M_n=1.02–1.09). The experimental results suggest that the present catalytic system has a higher polymerization activity than the polymerization activities of other rhodium-based catalytic systems previously reported.     

Facile and Versatile Synthesis of End‐Functionalized Poly(phenylacetylene)s: A Multicomponent Catalytic System for Well‐Controlled Living Polymerization of Phenylacetylenes

A rhodium‐based multicomponent catalytic system for well‐controlled living polymerization of phenylacetylenes has been developed. The catalytic system is composed of readily available and bench‐stable [Rh(nbd)Cl]₂, aryl boronic acid derivatives, diphenylacetylene, 50 % aqueous KOH, and PPh₃. This system offers a method for the facile and versatile synthesis of various end‐functionalized cis‐stereoregular poly(phenylacetylene)s because components from aryl boronic acids and diphenylacetylene were introduced to the initiating end of the polymers. The polymerization reaction shows a typical living nature with a high initiation efficiency, and the molecular weight of the resulting poly(phenylacetylene)s can be readily controlled with very narrow molecular‐weight distributions (M_w/M_n=1.02–1.09). The experimental results suggest that the present catalytic system has a higher polymerization activity than the polymerization activities of other rhodium‐based catalytic systems previously reported.     

Preparation of poly(p‐oxybenzoyl) crystals using direct polymerization of p‐hydroxybenzoic acid in the presence of boronic anhydrides

Poly(p‐oxybenzoyl) (POB) crystals were prepared by reaction‐induced crystallization during direct polymerization of p‐hydroxybenzoic acid in the presence of boronic anhydrides. Polymerizations were carried out at 300 °C in dibenzyltoluene at a concentration of 1% with three kinds of anhydrides of boronic acid such as 3,4,5‐trifluorophenylboronic acid (TFB), 4‐methoxyphenylboronic acid (MPB) and 4‐biphenylboronic acid (BPB). The POB crystals were formed as precipitates in the solution and the morphology was considerably influenced by both the structure of the boronic anhydride and its concentration (c_B). Needle‐like crystals were firmed in the presence of TFB anhydride (TFBA) at c_Bs of 5 and 10 mol % by the spiral growth of lamellae. Spherical aggregates of slab‐like crystals were formed at c_Bs from 50 to 100 mol %. The polymerization with MPB anhydride and BPB anhydride (BPBA) also yielded the needle‐like crystals at c_Bs of 50 and 5 mol %, respectively. The polymerization with TFBA at lower c_B was favorable to prepare the needle‐like crystal. Molecular weight was also influenced by the structure of the boronic anhydride and c_B. M_n increased generally with c_B and BPBA gave the highest M_n of 14.7 × 10³ at c_B of 100 mol %. The loose packing of the molecules in the crystal caused by the bulkiness of the end‐groups made the polymerization in the crystals more efficiently. Morphology and molecular weight of the POB crystals could be controlled by the chemical structure and the content of boronic anhydride. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem, 2011.     

Synthesis of ferrocene boronic acid-based block copolymers via RAFT polymerization and their micellization,redox responsive and glucose sensing properties

Current study is focused on the synthesis of three novel diblock copolymers poly(2-methacryloyloxy)ethyl ferrocene carboxylate-b-polymethyl vinyl amido phenyl boronic acid, poly(2-methacryloyloxy)ethyl ferrocene carboxylate-b-poly vinylamido phenyl boronic acid and poly(2-methacryloyloxy)ethyl ferrocene carboxylate-b-polystyrene boronic acid using S-methoxycarbonylphenylmethyl dithiobenzoate as reversible addition–fragmentation chain transfer polymerization agent. The synthesized block copolymers were characterized by gel permeation chromatography, fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, ¹H nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, dynamic light scattering, scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. Detailed micellization behaviour of poly(2-methacryloyloxy)ethyl ferrocene carboxylate-b-polymethyl vinyl amido phenyl boronic acid (in binary organic solvents mixture and aqueous solution) was studied. Comparative studies of micellization showed that the larger aggregates were obtained in binary organic solvents system than during dialysis in aqueous medium. The redox responsive behaviour of poly(2-methacryloyloxy)ethyl ferrocene carboxylate-b-polymethyl vinyl amido phenyl boronic acid was investigated by water soluble oxidizing (Ammonium cerium nitrate) and reducing (Sodium hydrogen sulphite) agents. Glucose binding/sensing properties of poly(2-methacryloyloxy)ethyl ferrocene carboxylate-b-polymethyl vinyl amido phenyl boronic acid were also explored by micellization. It was found that the increase in polarity and swelling of poly(2-methacryloyloxy)ethyl ferrocene carboxylate-b-polymethyl vinyl amidophenyl boronic acid micelles was due to the redox behaviour of ferrocene, while binding of glucose with boronic acids hydroxyls appears as unimers or small aggregates.     

Modification effect of spherical zirconia with SiCl4 as a support of methylaluminoxane for heterogeneous single-site catalyst

Unmodified and SiCl₄-modified spherical zirconia-supported methylaluminoxane were used as cocatalyst for propylene polymerization as well as ethylene/1-hexene copolymerization in combined with Me₂Si(η³-C₁₃H₈)(η¹-N^tBu)TiMe₂ (1) at 0 °C. The modification with SiCl₄ improved the catalytic activity. The improvement was clearer in ethylene/1-hexene copolymerization than in propylene polymerization. The number average molecular weight (M_n) of polypropylenes increased linearly against the polymerization time regardless the cocatalyst used to give polymers with narrow molecular weight distribution (M_w/M_n < 1.32), indicating the living nature of the catalytic systems. Thus, propagation rate constant (k_p) and the number of active centers (C^*) were evaluated from M_n and the number of polymer-chains. When the zirconia was modified with SiCl₄, the k_p value decreased and the C^* increased. The latter effect was more significant to enhance the catalytic activity.     

Lithium aminoborohydrides 17. Palladium catalyzed borylation of aryl iodides, bromides, and triflates with diisopropylaminoborane prepared from lithium diisopropylaminoborohydride

The Alcaraz-Vaultier borylation of aryl halides and triflates is reported utilizing diisopropylaminoborane (BH₂N(ⁱPr)₂) prepared from the corresponding lithium aminoborohydride (LAB reagent). BH₂N(ⁱPr)₂, prepared by reacting lithium diisopropylaminoborohydride with trimethylsilyl chloride, provided the most consistent isolated yields from this reaction. Catalytic amounts of palladium dichloride produced the highest yields from aryl iodides, while catalytic tris(dibenzylideneacetone)dipalladium(chloroform) provided the best yields for aryl bromides and triflates. This route to boronic acids is mild enough to tolerate various functionalities and for the first time employs aryl triflates as substrates for the Alcaraz-Vaultier borylation. In addition, it was found that both boronic acid and ester compounds could be isolated from the reaction mixture utilizing simple work-up procedures. Treatment of the reaction intermediate with an acid/base work-up provided the corresponding boronic acid, while treating the same intermediate with a diol, such as neopentyl glycol, afforded the corresponding boronic ester.     

Ethylenebis(5‐chlorosalicylideneiminato)vanadium dichloride immobilized on MgCl2‐based supports as a highly effective precursor for ethylene polymerization

Ethylenebis(5‐chlorosalicylideneiminato)vanadium dichloride supported on MgCl₂(THF)₂ or on the same carrier modified by Et_nAlCl_3?n, where n = 1–3, was used in ethylene polymerization in the presence of MAO or a common alkylaluminium compounds as a cocatalyst. The support type alter vanadium loading and also change the characteristic of the catalytic active sites. Et₂AlCl is the best activator for a catalyst which has been immobilized on a nonmodified support, whereas the systems which contain a carrier which has been modified by an organoaluminium compound reveal the highest activity in conjunction with MAO. That difference, together with different temperature effects on polymerization efficiency (i.e., decrease and increase of catalytic activity for increasing temperatures, respectively) suggest the formation of different types of active sites in the catalytic systems supported on modified and nonmodified magnesium carrier. However, all supported precatalysts possess a long lifetime, still being active towards ethylene polymerization after 2 h. All the systems yield wide MWD polyethylene, while bimodal MWD is found for some part of analyzed samples. Polyethylene with bimodal particle size distribution is formed with the system which contain modified carriers at higher temperatures. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 47: 3480–3489, 2009     

The effect of boronic acid acidity on performance of viologen-based boronic acids in a two-component optical glucose-sensing system

A two-component saccharide sensing system using the fluorescent dye, hydroxypyrene trisulfonic acid, combined with a boronic acid functional viologen as a receptor/quencher in pH 7.4 buffer solution has been further investigated. The effect of substituents on the acidity of the boronic acid was measured. The boronic acid pK_a changed in the expected manner when electron donating or withdrawing groups were present. The glucose binding constants were dependent on pK_a, but no simple correlation was observed for the Stern-Volmer quenching constants and the fluorescence signal modulation.     

A general cocatalyst strategy for performance enhancement in nickel catalyzed ethylene (co)polymerization

The tuning of olefin-polymerization catalyst properties through ligand modifications is efficient but requires complicated and costly syntheses. In this contribution, a simple Bu₂Mg-based cocatalyst strategy is designed that can simultaneously enhance the catalytic properties (activity, thermal stability, polymer molecular weight, branching density, melting point, etc.) of various nickel catalysts (α-diimine nickel, pyridine imine nickel and iminopyridine-N-oxide nickel) in ethylene polymerization, and enable great product morphology control. For example, a simple α-diimine nickel catalyst can demonstrate polymerization activity of up to 1.29×10⁷ g mol^?1 h^?1 and molecular weight of up to 1.90×10⁶ g/mol in the presence of Bu₂Mg cocatalyst. The resulting polyethylenes exhibit excellent mechanical properties, with tensile stress of up to 47.4 MPa and strain of up to 1020%. This cocatalyst strategy is generally applicable to different nickel catalysts, and can lead to property enhancement in ethylene copolymerization with a series of polar comonomers such as methyl 10-undecylenate, 10-undecylenic acid and 10-undecenol.     

Synthesis of poly(p-phenylene)s having alternating sugar and alkyl substituents by Suzuki coupling polymerization and evaluation of their main-chain conformations

This paper reports synthesis of poly(p-phenylene)s (PPPs) having alternating sugar and alkyl substituents by Suzuki coupling polymerization of a 1,4-dibromobenzene monomer having peracetylated glucose residues with a 1,4-benzene bis(boronic acid) having alkyl chains using Pd(PPh₃)₄ in a mixed solvent of THF and NaHCO₃ aq. at reflux temperature. The polymerization proceeded with the progress of frequent deacetylation, and thus, the crude product was acetylated, followed by the isolation procedures, giving the PPP having alternating peracetylated glucose and alkyl substituents. The structure of the isolated product was confirmed by the ¹H and ¹³C NMR measurements to be the desired PPP derivative. The M_n values were estimated by GPC analysis with DMF as the eluent to be 5400-12,700. The deacetylation of the polymer completely took place using sodium methoxide in methanol/THF. The conformation of the main-chain was evaluated by the CD spectrum in comparison with that of PPP only with the glucose substituents, indicating that the present PPP derivative had the flexible nature of the main-chain by introduction of the alkyl-substituted units between glucose-substituted units. The Suzuki coupling of a 1,4-dibromobenzne monomer having disaccharide substituents with the benzene bis(boronic acid) monomer was also performed under the similar conditions. The product was precipitated from the reaction mixture, which was simply isolated by filtration. The isolated polymer was purified further by reprecipitation into diethyl ether and its structure was a PPP having free disaccharide or monosaccharide residues. This indicated occurrence of complete deacetylation as well as partial degradation of the glycosidic linkages in the disaccharides during the polymerization. The main-chain of the obtained polymer had also the flexible nature. The fluorescence spectra of the obtained PPP derivatives in this study were also measured.     

Homo-and copolymerization of propylene and ethylene in the presence of titanium dichloride complexes with dioxolane dicarboxylate and bis(difurylmethanephenoxyimine) ligands

The polymerization of propylene and ethylene and the copolymerization of these olefins with postmetallocene catalysts [(4R,5R)-2,2-dimethyl-α,α,α′,α′-tetra(perfluorophenyl)-1,3-dioxolane-4,5-dimethanol] titanium(IV) dichloride and bis{N-(3,5-ditert-butylsalicylidene)-4-[bis(5-methyl-2-furyl)methyl]aniline}titanium( IV) dichloride have been studied. The polymerization of propylene and its copolymerization with ethylene have been carried out in a liquid monomer, while the polymerization of ethylene has been performed in toluene at the constant concentration of the monomer. Polymethylaluminoxane has been used as a cocatalyst. The activity of the catalysts in the polymerization of propylene and ethylene at 50°C is ～ 10 and ～45 kg PP/mol Ti h mol C₃H₆/l and 178.5 and 2700 kg PE/mol Ti h mol C₂H₄/l, respectively. It has been established that, in the copolymerization of propylene with ethylene, the active sites of both catalysts selectively polymerize ethylene. The resulting copolymers have a block structure (r ₁ r ₂= 4.6); as a result, the crystalline phase of polyethylene is formed in them. Polypropylene and propylene-ethylene copolymers are elastomeric materials. Polypropylene samples synthesized with [(4R,5R)-2,2-dimethyl-α,α,α′,α′-tetra(perfluorophenyl)-1,3-dioxolane-4,5-dimethanol]titanium(IV) dichloride demonstrate a high melting point (150–157°C) in combination with good elastic properties. Polyethylene is a linear polymer with the degree of crystallinity varying from 37 to 45% and a melting point of 133–134°C. The mechanical properties of the polymers and copolymers have been investigated.     

Polymerization of ethylene with self-immobilizing bis(phenoxyimine) catalytic systems

The kinetic features of polymerization of ethylene with five methylaluminoxane-activated selfim-mobilizing bis(phenoxyimine) complexes of titanium chloride, namely, bis{2-[(4-allyloxyphenylimino)methyl]-6-tert-butylphenoxy}TiCl₂, bis{2-[(4-allyloxyphenylimino)methyl]-4,6-di-tert-butylphenoxy}TiCl₂, bis{2-[(4-allyloxyphenylimino)methyl]-6-cumylphenoxy}TiCl₂, bis{2-[(4-allyloxyphenylimino)methyl]-4,6-dicumylphenoxy}TiCl₂, and bis{2-[(4-allyloxyphenylimino)methyl]-6-1-(4-tert-butylphenyl)ethylphenoxy}TiCl₂ have been studied. The activity of these complexes in the polymerization of ethylene in the temperature range 20–80°C and an ethylene pressure of 0.3 MPa has been investigated both in the homogeneous and polymer matrix-bound states. The self-immobilizing catalytic systems possess high activity (up to 40000 kg_PE/mol_cat MPa h) and give rise to ultrahigh-molecular-weight PE (M = (2–7) × 10⁶) with an improved morphology of polymer particles.     

Nitrone von 2-formylphenylboronsäureestern

Reactions of 2-formylphenylboronic acid with N-substituted hydroxylamines lead to nitrones which undergo partial anhydride formation at the boronic acid group. The crystallized intermediates of variable composition are converted by esterification with catechol or ethylene glycol into stable defined arylboronate complexes with a cyclic B,N-betaine structure.