| Abstract: | A series of titanium complexes Cp*TiCl((OCH(R)CH2)2NAr) (Cp* = C5Me5, R = H, Ar = Phenyl ( 2a) ; R = H, Ar = 2,6‐dimethylphenyl ( 2b ); R = Me, Ar = Phenyl ( 2c )) was prepared by the reaction of corresponding N,N‐diethoxylaniline derivatives, with Cp*TiCl3 in the presence of excessive triethylamine. All the titanium complexes display higher catalytic activities towards the syndiospecific polymerization of styrene in the presence of modified methylaluminoxane (MMAO) as a cocatalyst, and produce higher molecular weight polystyrenes with higher syndiotacticity and melting temperature than their mother complex Cp*TiCl3. The catalyst activities and polymer yields as well as polymer properties are considerably affected by the steric and electronic effect of the tridentate ligands. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 43: 1562–1568, 2005 |
