New bridged zirconocenes for olefin polymerization: Binuclear and hybrid structures

Four newly synthesized bridged bisindenyl zirconocenes which are derivatives of known structures have been tested in polymerizations of liquid propylene with methylaluminoxane as cocatalyst. They include two asymmetric and two binuclear systems which are suitable for isotactic polymerization. Surprising differences from the behavior of similar systems (regiospecificity, chain termination) are found and discussed.     

Styrene/(Styrene Derivative) and Styrene/(1-Alkene) Copolymerization using Ph2Zn-Additive Initiator Systems

Diphenylzinc-metallocene-MAO initiator systems have proven to be effective initiator systems for styrene and for substituted styrenes as well as for their styrene/(styrene-derivative) copolymerization. Titanocene produced almost pure syndiotactic polymers while zirconocenes gave atactic polystyrene together with a low content, less than 20%, of syndiotactic polystyrene. Systems including a zirconocene, particularly ethenyl(bisindenyl)zirconium dichloride were effective initiators of 1-alkene polymerization and of styrene/1-alkene copolymerization. Conversion to polymer increases with the molecular size of 1-alkene. Styrene derivative and styrene/(styrene derivative) polymerization was greatly influenced by the inductive effect of substituent and by steric hindrance due to the monomer.     

Alternative mechanistic interpretation for unconventional catalytic behaviour of triisobutylaluminium-activated heterocenes in ethylene polymerization

DFT simulations of ethylene polymerization with the participation of neutral Zr–Al3 hydride species revealed a fundamental difference in catalytic behaviour of triisobutylaluminium-activated heterocenes and conventional ansa-zirconocenes.     

Further Studies on Homo- and Copolymerization of Styrene through Metallocenic Initiator Systems

Summary: Binary metallocene-MAO and ternary diphenylzinc-metallocene-MAO initiator systems have been tested as initiators in the homopolymerization of styrene and also in its copolymerization with several diverse comonomers including substituted styrenes, styrene derivatives, α-olefins and dienes. Various titanocenes and zirconocenes and some exploratory experiment with hafnocene were carried out. The results indicate that titanocenes were more effective than zirconocenes in the homopolymerization of styrene while zirconocenes did better in α-olefin polymerization. It was found that titanocenes generated mainly syndiotactic polystyrene, s-PS, while zirconocenes yielded atactic polystyrene or, depending on the zirconocene, a low percentage of s-PS. For these types of initiators the polymerization process depends largely on the inductive effect of the substituents linked to the benzene ring of styrene and on its position (ortho, meta or para). Substituent multiplicity reduced markedly the effectiveness of these initiator systems. Styrene/isoprene polymerization was also studied using binary zirconocene-MAO initiator systems that yielded low conversions and also low molecular weight polymers.     

Cooperative effects in binuclear zirconocenes: Their synthesis and use as catalyst in propene polymerization

The mono- and bis-cyclopentadienyl compounds 1-(Cp″)-4-(CH₃)C₆H₄ (1) and 1, 4-(Cp″)₂C₆H₄ (2) (Cp″ = 3,4-dimethylcyclopenta-1,3-diene-1-yl) have been synthesized. The reactions of the lithium salts of 1 and 2 with CpZrCl₃ · dme (dme = dimethoxyethane) and Cp*ZrCl₃(CP* = C₅(CH₃)₅) yielded the mono- and bi-nuclear bridged zirconocenes 1-(Cp″ZrCpCl₂)-4-(CH₃)C₆H₄ (3), 1,4-(Cp″ZrCpCl₂)₂C₆H₄ (4) and 1,4-(Cp″ZrCp*Cl₂)₂C₆H₄ (5). When activated with methylaluminoxane (MAO), the mono- and bi-nuclear zirconocenes 3 and 4 catalyse the polymerization of propene. The influence of the catalyst composition on the polymerization kinetics and molecular weight is discussed.     

Stereospecificity in metallocene catalyzed acrylate polymerizations: the chiral orientation of the growing chain selects its own chain end enantioface

The mechanism of stereocontrol in the site-controlled stereospecific polymerization of methyl methacrylate (MMA) with C2- and CS-symmetric zirconocenes is investigated with a DFT based approach. Our model explains the experimentally observed isospecificity in MMA polymerization with the C2-symmetric rac-C2H4(Ind)2Zr-based system as well as the experimentally observed syndiospecificity in MMA polymerization with the CS-symmetric Me2C(Cp)(Flu)Zr-based system. In both cases, the chiral metallocene induces a chiral orientation of the ester enolate growing chain. In turn, the chirally oriented growing chain selects its own enantioface. Comparison with the mechanism of stereocontrol operative in the case of propene polymerization by the same zirconocenes is performed to stress similarities and differences. Although analogies are expected, surprising differences also exist. The most peculiar is that the in the case of 1-olefins, the enantioselective event is selection between the enantiofaces of the prochiral monomer. Instead, in the case of acrylates, the enantioselective event is selection between the enantiofaces of the prochiral growing chain.     

New tethered ansa‐bridged zirconium catalysts: Insights into the “self‐immobilization” mechanism

New ω‐alkenyl‐substituted ansa‐bridged bisindenyl zirconium complexes are prepared and tested as self‐immobilized catalysts for ethene polymerization. But, even at very high concentration of the tethered complexes and low pressure of ethene, there is no evidence of their insertion into the polyethene chain. A “cross polymerization” test, performed by copolymerizing the tethered complexes with ethene using rac‐Me₂Si(2‐MeBenzInd)₂ZrCl₂ ( MBI ), does not lead to their incorporation into the polyethene chain. However, the corresponding ligand proves to be a suitable comonomer for ethene, and, through copolymerization promoted by MBI, innovative poly(ethene‐co‐2,2′‐bis[(1H‐inden‐3′‐yl)‐hex‐5‐ene) copolymers are prepared and characterized by ¹³C NMR. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem, 2013     

New polymers by copolymerization of ethylene and norbornene with metallocene catalysts

To increase the thermal stability of metallocene-methylaluminoxane catalysts. pentalene bridged zirconocenes and a constrained geometry catalyst were used for the copolymerisation of ethene and norbornene. The constrained geometry catalyst is stable in solution up to 90°C. Surprisingly the molecular weight of the copolymers increases with higher incorporation rates of norbornene. Glass transition temperatures of 120°C are reached. The microstructure of the cyclic olefin copolymers material is more alternating.     

Developments of chiral metallocenes as polymerization catalysts

This review article describes developments in chiral metallocenes as polymerization catalysts focusing on C2 symmetric ansa-zirconocene complexes. Selective synthesis of rac-isomers of ansa-zirconocenes are surveyed. Isospecific polymerizations of propylene catalyzed by chiral zirconocenes are summarized. Advanced series of polymerizations by chiral metallocenes such as asymmetric polymerization and polymerization of polar monomers are also introduced.     

Alkylidenverbrückte dissymmetrische zweikernige Metallocenkomplexe als Katalysatoren für die Ethylenpolymerisation

The synthesis is described of dissymmetric alkylidene bridged dinuclear metallocene complexes of titanium, zirconium and hafnium and some of the corresponding mononuclear reference complexes. The influence of structural parameters on the polymerization behaviour of the MAO activated complexes is systematically investigated for homogeneous ethylene polymerization. The dinuclear catalysts show higher polymerization activities than a mixture consisting of analogous mononuclear reference catalysts. The polyethylenes obtained from dinuclear complexes have higher polydispersities than those that were produced with mononuclear complexes.     

C2‐Symmetric Zirconocenes in the Polymerization of Conjugated Diolefins

C₂‐symmetric zirconocenes activated by methylaluminoxane were utilized as catalysts in the polymerization of 1,3‐diolefins. The results indicate that the most crowded catalytic precursor rac[CH₂(3‐tert‐butyl‐1‐indenyl)₂]ZrCl₂ ( 1 ) is also the most active one, giving 1,4‐polymerization of 1,3‐butadiene and (Z)‐1,3‐pentadiene and 1,2‐polymerization of (E)‐1,3‐pentadiene and 4‐methyl‐1,3‐pentadiene. Probably, the different behavior of 1 with respect to other C₂‐symmetric zirconocenes utilized is due to the different stability of the bond between the last inserted monomer unit and the metal, as well as to the coordination of incoming monomer.     

Polymerization of ethene initiated with a mixture of siloxane-bridged mono- and dinuclear zirconocenes

In the polymerization of ethene cocatalyzed with modified methylaluminoxane, the catalyst activities of the siloxane-bridged dinuclear zirconocenes, tetramethyldisiloxanediylbis(cyclopentadienylindenylzirconium dichloride) ( 3 ) and hexamethyltrisiloxanediylbis(cyclopentadienylindenylzirconium dichloride) ( 4 ) were lower than that obtained with the siloxane-bridged mononuclear zirconocene, tetramethyldisiloxanediyldicyclopentadienyldimethylzirconium ( 1 ). On the other hand, weight-average molecular weight M̄_w and ratio of weight- to number-average molecular weights M̄_w/M̄_n of polyethene (PE) obtained with 3 or 4 were higher than those of PE obtained with 1. For a binary mixture of 1/3 or 1/4 , it was found that the obtained PE exhibits a bimodal molecular weight distribution for an appropriate composition of the mixed zirconocenes. M̄_w/M̄_n of PE could be adjusted by changing the relative concentrations of the two zirconocenes.     

Novel bridged bis-azulenyl and bis-tetrahydroazulenyl hafnocenes: Synthesis, structure, and propylene polymerization behavior

Novel bridged bis-azulenyl hafnocenes: dichlorodimethylsilylenebis(2-methyl-4-phenyl-4H-azulenyl) hafnium (4a) and dichlorodimethylsilylenebis[2-ethyl-4-(4-chlorophenyl)-4H-azulenyl] hafnium (4b) were synthesized from 2-methylazulene and 2-ethylazulene, respectively. Hydrogenation of 4a and 4b gave novel bis-tetrahydroazulenyl hafnocenes: dichlorodimethylsilylenebis(2-methyl-4-phenyl-4H-5,6,7,8-tetrahydroazulenyl) hafnium (5a) and dichlorodimethylsilylenebis[2-ethyl-4-(4-chlorophenyl)-4H-5,6,7,8-tetrahydroazulenyl] hafnium (5b). The structures of 4a and 5b were determined by X-ray crystallographic analysis to fold C₂ symmetry. These hafnocenes were found to be active catalysts for propylene polymerization in the presence of methylaluminoxane (MAO), and the preliminary polymerization behavior of these catalysts was evaluated. The melting point and molecular weight of resultant polypropylene were higher than those of the bis-azulenyl zirconocenes. In particular, a high melting point (160 °C for 5a and 161 °C for 5b) was observed with the bis-tetrahydroazulenyl system, although the activities by these hafnocenes were lower than those by the corresponding zirconocenes.     

Defined synthesis of copolymers using metallocene catalysis

The copolymerization of propene with small amounts of ethene, catalyzed by tetrahydroindenyl zirconocenes such as [En(H₄Ind)₂]ZrCl₂ or [Me₂Si(H₄Ind)₂]ZrCl₂ and MAO in liquid propene produces polymers with much higher activities and molecular weights than the homopolymerization of propene. The normal bisindenyl complexes doesn't present such differences. The investigation of the microstructure shows for the tetrahydroindenyl catalyst that after a 2,1-insertion of a propene unit the system is in a sleeping state and can be activated when an ethene unit is inserted. In this case these catalysts become faster than the ansa bis-indenyl catalysts. An active catalyst for the copolymerization of ethene and norbornene is the more temperature stable [Me₃PhPen(Flu)]ZrCl₂. This catalyst produces atactic copolymers with high molecular weights of over 900 000 g/mol at 30°C and 38 mol% of norbornene content.     

苯基取代的环戊二烯基锆化合物的合成及催化乙烯聚合

一系列苯基取代的环戊二烯配体在甲苯中相继与丁基锂及ZrCl4作用，生成相 应的苯基取代的茂金属化合物，通过^1H NMR，MS和元素分析表征了化合物的分子 结构，并研究了在MAO（甲基铝氧烷的助催化下，化合物对乙烯聚合的催化性能， 结果发现单苯基取代茂金属化合物的催化活性和产物聚乙聚的分子量都随聚合温度 的升高而增大。     

Synthesis and photoconductivity study of phthalocyanine polymers. V. 4,4′-diamino-diphenyl ether bridged polymeric SiPc

A novel polymer with quasi-one-dimensional structure of 4,4′-diamino-diphenyl ether bridged polymeric silicon phthalocyanine ( I ) is synthesized by the condensation polymerization of 4,4′-diamino-diphenyl ether (DDE) monomer and dichloride silicon phthalocyanine (Cl₂SiPc) monomer. The structure of the polymer ( I ) is identified by IR subtraction and UV/VIS spectroscopy and elemental analysis. The photoconductivity of the polymer I with quasi-one-dimensional structure is better than that of not only the parent Cl₂SiPc reactant, but also other polymeric phthalocyanines without one-dimensional structures, and showing one-dimensional effect of molecular structure. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

On the nonsingle-site character of Bis(2-dimethylsilyl-indenyl)zirconium(IV) dichloride/MAO and Bis(2-trimethylsilyl-indenyl)zirconium(IV) dichloride/MAO: polymerization characteristics and mechanistic implications

Ethene polymerization with bis(2-dimethylsilyl-indenyl)zirconium(IV) dichloride (1)/MAO and bis(2-trimethylsilyl-indenyl)zirconium(IV) dichloride (2)/MAO and ethene-co-1-hexene polymerization with 1/MAO are presented. The end group analysis of homopolymers reveals a pronounced dependence of the termination rate on temperature changes. In combination with the high molecular weights obtained, these results are in accord with theoretical predictions. Gel permeation chromatography, Fourier transform infrared, and 13C NMR analyses of copolymerization products from 1/MAO as a function of comonomer concentration at two different temperature series denote its tendency to form inhomogeneous polymer blends. Thermal analysis and fractionation results of one such blend indicate an inhomogeneity in the enchainment process and the existence of multiple active sites of differing geometry. These indications are further supported by AMBER force field and density functional theory studies of the catalyst precursors and the active site of 1/MAO. For this system, delta-agostic interactions for the stabilization of the zirconium cation are favored over beta-agostic interactions, which, in contrast to the situation in studies on bis-Cp systems, is a sparsely populated species. The gap in activation enthalphies for beta-hydride transfer and elimination is marginalized for these bulky zirconocenes, and conceptually new mechanisms for the isomerization of the vinyl end groups are discussed. Further, unexpected activation of the silicon-hydrogen bond within the ligand framework is observed with an activation enthalpy as low as 14 kcal/mol.     

Synthesis of indenyllanthanide amides:the effective initiators for polymerization of methyl methacrylate

Diisopropylamido bisindenyl lanthanides(C9H7)2LnN(i-Pr)2(Ln=Gd(1),Y(2),Er(3))were successfully synthesized in satisfied yield by the reaction of Ln(N(i-Pr)2)3(THF)with indene in 1:2 molar ratio in toluene.All of the complexes exhibit very high catalytic activity in the polymerization of methyl methacrylate.The resulting polymers have narrow molecular weight distributions and high syndiotacticity.     

Synthesis and photoconductivity study of phthalocyanine polymers. IV. [SiPcNHCH2CH2NH]n

The preparation of a novel polymer of ethylenediamine bridged polymeric silicon phthalocyanine ( I ) with quasi-one-dimensional structure is described. The product was obtained by the condensation polymerization of ethylenediamine and silicon dichloride phthalocyanine (Cl₂SiPc) monomers and was characterized by IR and UV/VIS spectroscopy and elemental analysis. The photoconductivity of the polymer I with the quasi-one-dimensional structure is much better than that of not only the corresponding Cl₂SiPc monomer, but also other phthalocyanine polymers whose molecules are not one-dimensional structures, and showing the one-dimensional effects of molecular structure of increasing photoconductivity. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 35: 959–964, 1997     

Mesoporous silica as nanoreactor for olefin polymerization

Various metal-containing MCM-41(Metal-MCM-41) were prepared by the post-synthesis method with organometallic compound or alkoxide and used as a nanoreactor for olefin polymerization. Strong Lewis acid sites generated on Metal-MCM-41 could activate the metallocene catalyst rac-ethylene(bisindenyl)zirconium dichloride (rac-Et(Ind)₂ZrCl₂) effectively, resulting in the formation of active sites for polymerizations of ethylene and propylene. This suggests that Metal-MCM-41 is useful as a heterogenized cocatalyst. Ti-, Zr-, Hf-, Mn- and Zn-MCM-41 combined with alkylaluminum (without metallocene catalyst) were also found to provide isotactic polypropylene with a broad molecular weight distribution. By analyzing the characteristics of polypropylenes both inside and outside the mesopores, the polymerization behavior under extreme confined geometry was discussed.