Stereospecific oligo- and polymerization with metallocene catalysts

The regio- and stereo-selectivity of metallocene/methylaluminoxane catalysts was shown to be significantly and rapidly enhanced by substitution of the indenyl ligands and by heterogenization of the zirconocenes. By oligomerization of 1-butene with optically active metallocenes, it could be shown that there is a small influence from the growing polymer chain on the isotacticity, the overriding factor in every case being the existence of a chiral active centre. Each insertion step increased the stereospecificity, until the maximum value was achieved.     

Copolymerization of ethene with cyclic and other sterically hindered olefins

Sterically hindered olefins like norbornene, dimethanooctahydronaphthalene (DMON), 4‐methylpentene, and 3‐methylbutene can be copolymerised with ethene by metallocene/MAO catalysts. Different C₂‐, C_s‐ and C₁‐symmetric and meso‐zirconocenes were used. Only isolated and alternating norbornene sequences but no norbornene blocks are formed by substituted [Me₂C(Cp‐R)(Flu)]ZrCl₂ catalysts. The alternating microstructure leads to melting points up to 270°C for ethene‐norbornene copolymers and up to 380°C for the semi‐crystalline alternating copolymer of ethene and DMON. Other sterically hindered olefins such as 3‐methylpentene build more blocky structures with high glass transition temperatures. The mechanism for the insertion reaction of the different catalysts is discussed.     

ChemInform Abstract: The Ground-State Potential Energy Surface of Diazene

has been studied by using a complete active space MCSCF wave function generated by distributing eight electrons among eight orbitals.