| Abstract: | A new type of half‐metallocene catalyst for the polymerization of ethylene and styrene, Cp*M((O)3O9Si7(c‐C5H9)7) (M = Ti ( 1) ; Zr ( 2 )), is prepared by the reaction of (HO)3O9Si7(c‐C5H9)7 with Cp*MCl3 in the presence of triethylamine. Complex 1 is stable to heat and air, but its heavier congener 2 is slightly air‐sensitive. The catalytic systems 1 /MMAO and 2 /MMAO, in which MMAO is modified methylaluminoxane, show good activities in ethylene polymerization, with that of 2 /MMAO greater than that of 1 /MMAO. Polyethylenes with bimodal molecular weight distributions were obtained. In addition, the catalytic system 1 /MMAO shows fairly good activities for the syndiospecific polymerization of styrene. |
