Improving the Performance of Heterogeneous Borane Cocatalysts by Pretreatment of the Silica Support with Alkylaluminum Compounds

The treatment of silica with alkylaluminum compounds, triisobutylaluminum (TIBA) and triethylaluminum (TEA), dramatically enhanced the cocatalytic performances of the CPh₃]⁺B(C₆F₅)₃—SiO₂]^–. We measured the productivity and ethylene‐consumption profiles for CPh₃]⁺B(C₆F₅)₃—SiO₂]^– cocatalysts and Cp₂ZrCl₂/TIBA. Both of the treated cocatalyst systems improved the average molecular weight of the product when compared with the untreated cocatalyst system. The TIBA‐treated cocatalyst provided a narrow molecular weight distribution while the TEA‐treated cocatalyst system gave a broad distribution.