Neutral Nickel Catalysts for Olefin Homo- and Copolymerization: Relationships between Catalyst Structures and Catalytic Properties

Bis(N-acylated imidazolin-2-imine) nickel catalyzed norbornene copolymerization with methyl acrylate

We herein report the synthesis of novel bis(N-acylated imidazolin-2-imine) nickel complexes for norbornene polymerization and copolymerization with polar monomers.

8-Arylnaphthyl substituent retarding chain transfer in insertion polymerization with unsymmetrical α-diimine systems

The 8-arylnaphthyl substituent is highly effective for retarding the chain transfer process during ethylene (co)polymerization due to the appropriate aryl orientation.

A N-bridged strategy enables hemilabile phosphine–carbonyl palladium and nickel catalysts to mediate ethylene polymerization and copolymerization with polar vinyl monomers

N-Bridged phosphine–carbonyl Pd(ii) and Ni(ii) catalysts enable the enhancement of molecular weights in ethylene polymerization and copolymerization with polar comonomers.

The influences of electronic effect and isomerization of salalen titanium(iv) complexes on ethylene polymerization in the presence of methylaluminoxane

Herein, two salalen titanium(iv) complexes were synthesized and characterized. These complexes coexisted as two isomers in certain conditions and underwent isomerization, as evidenced by ¹H NMR spectroscopy. Furthermore, the molar ratio of the two isomers ranged from 100 : 15 at 30 °C to 100 : 34 at 120 °C, driven by thermal energy, based on variable temperature ¹H NMR characterization. Both complexes were employed as catalysts for ethylene polymerization in the presence of methylaluminoxane (MAO). The influence of the electronic effects of different substituent groups at the ortho position of the phenolate on ethylene polymerization behaviors, molecular weight and molecular weight distributions of the resulting polyethylene was investigated. The fluorinated salalen titanium(iv) complex revealed relatively high catalytic activity and thermal stability owing to the electron-withdrawing inductive effect. Moreover, disentangled linear polyethylene with ultrahigh molecular weight (M _w up to 3000 kDa) and narrow molecular weight distribution (M _w/M _n ∼ 2) was obtained in the polymerization temperature range of 30 °C to 50 °C.

Ethylene polymerization of nickel catalysts with α-diimine ligands: factors controlling the structure of active species and polymer properties

α-Diimine and related complexes of late transition metals such as palladium and nickel have been attracting continuing interest as single-site catalysts of ethylene homopolymerization to branched polyolefins, having challenging mechanical properties. The state-of-the art catalysts demonstrate promising catalytic activities, and enhanced thermal stabilities, affording polyethylenes with a variable degree of branching and, in addition, are able to incorporate polar co-monomers into polyethylene structures. At the same time, fundamental understanding of the structure-reactivity relationships of such catalysts mostly remains at the phenomenological level, due to the lack of experimental data on the solution structures of intermediates that drive the polymerization process. In this perspective, we discuss recent advances of α-diimine nickel based catalysts of ethylene polymerization, focusing on the relationships between the catalyst structures on the one hand, and their thermal stabilities and properties of the resulting polyethylene, on the other hand. In addition, some intriguing novel mechanistic findings of these catalyst systems are presented.

Synthesis of nickel and palladium complexes with diarylamido-based unsymmetrical pincer ligands and application for norbornene polymerization

A set of diarylamido-based unsymmetrical [PNNox] pincer ligands containing a chiral oxazoline ring have been synthesized and their nickel and palladium complexes [(2-PPh2(R1)ArN(R1)Ar-2-(R)oxazoline)MCl] (R1 = 4-H, R = (S)-4-iPr, M = Pd (Pd1); R1 = 4-H, R = (S)-4-Bn, M = Pd (Pd2); R1 = 4-H, R = (S)-4-Ph, M = Pd (Pd3); R1 = 4-Me, R = (S)-4-Bn, M = Pd (Pd4); R1 = 4-Me, R = (S)-4-Ph, M = Pd (Pd5); R1 = 4-H, R = 4-Me2, M = Pd (Pd6); R1 = 4-H, R = Benzo[d]-, M = Pd (Pd7); R1 = 4-H, R = (S)-4-Bn, M = Ni (Ni1); R1 = 4-H, R = (S)-4-Ph, M = Ni (Ni2); R1 = 4-Me, R = (S)-4-Bn, M = Ni (Ni3); R1 = 4-Me, R = (S)-4-Ph, M = Pd (Ni4)) were tested to show high catalytic activities for polymerization of norbornene. After activation of methylaluminoxane (MAO), all the nickel and palladium complexes could catalyze the polymerization of norbornene to yield vinyl-type polymers with activities up to 40.3 × 105 g of PNB (mol of Pd)-1 h-1. The copolymerization of norbornene with functional norbornene comonomers was also investigated by catalyst Pd2, accompanied by decreased catalytic activity and low incorporation of functional comonomers.

Norbornene polymerization and copolymerization with 1-alkenes by neutral palladium complexes bearing aryloxide imidazolin-2-imine ligand

A series of novel aryloxide imidazolin-2-imine bidentate neutral Pd(ii) complexes with different substituents on the imidazolin-2-imine ligand were synthesized and characterized.

Preparation and in situ chain-end-functionalization of branched ethylene oligomers by monosubstituted α-diimine nickel catalysts

Chain-end-functionalization of (highly) branched ethylene oligomers was achieved in situ with the most/least bulky α-diimine nickel catalysts for the first time.

An efficient and mild route to highly fluorinated polyolefins via copolymerization of ethylene and 5-perfluoroalkylnorbornenes

Highly efficient copolymerization of ethylene/5-(perfluoro-n-alkyl)norbornenes has been realized for the synthesis of fluorinated COC for the first time.

New phenyl-nickel complexes of bulky 2-iminopyrrolyl chelates: synthesis, characterisation and application as aluminium-free catalysts for the production of hyperbranched polyethylene

A family of mono(2-iminopyrrolyl) complexes with the general formula [Ni{κ2N,N'-5-(aryl)-NC4H2-2-C(H)[double bond, length as m-dash]N-2,6-(aryl)}(C6H5)(PPh3)] were obtained from the reaction of the sodium salts of the newly synthesised 5-aryl-2-(N-arylformimino)pyrroles with the square planar complex trans-[Ni(C6H5)(PPh3)2Cl]. These new iminopyrrole ligand precursors, designed with increasing bulkiness and different electronic properties, and their corresponding nickel(ii) complexes were characterised by NMR spectroscopy and elemental analysis, and their structural features were analysed by single crystal X-ray diffraction. The nickel complexes were tested as aluminium-free catalysts for the polymerisation of ethylene, at low to moderate pressures and different temperatures and in the absence or presence of the phosphine scavenger [Ni(COD)2], giving rise to catalytic activities in the range of 3.61-73.12 kgPE molNi-1 h-1 bar-1. The polyethylene products formed in these catalytic reactions were characterised by GPC/SEC and NMR spectroscopy. Generally, low molecular weight (Mn 510-1300 g mol-1) low viscosity oils were obtained, presenting high branching degrees (80-125 branches per 1000 C atoms), which are characteristic of hyperbranched polyethylene products. In particular, polymerisation reactions using catalyst 7 led to higher viscosity oils with molecular weights between 11 000 and 20 000 g mol-1, and branching degrees of 100-120 branches per 1000 C atoms.

Substituent Effects of Phenyl Group on Silylene Bridge in Stereospecific Polymerization of Propylene with C₁-Symmetric Ansa-Silylene(fluorenyl)(amido) Dimethyl Titanium Complexes

A C₁-symmetric (methylphenyl)silylene-bridged (fluorenyl)(naphthylamido) titanium complex (1) and (diphenyl)silylene-bridged (fluorenyl)(naphthylamido) titanium complex (2) were synthesized and characterized by ¹H NMR, element analysis, and X-ray crystal analysis. The coordination mode of the fluorenyl ligand to the titanium metal is an η³ manner in each complex. These complexes were applied for propylene polymerization using dried modified methyaluminoxane (dMMAO) as a cocatalyst under different propylene pressures in a semi batch-type method. The catalytic activity was strongly dependent on the structure of the complex and the propylene pressure, where complex 1 exhibited the highest activity (600 kg mol-1·h-1) under a propylene pressure of 8.0 atm to produce high molecular weight polypropylene. The polypropylenes obtained were syndiotactic-rich with an rr value of 0.50, indicating that the silylene bridge was not efficient for the isospecificity of a constrained geometry catalyst (CGC). The mechanical properties of the resulting polymers depended on their microstructure.

Direct Synthesis of Functionalized High-Molecular-Weight Polyethylene by Copolymerization of Ethylene with Polar Monomers

The introduction of even a small amount of polar functional groups into polyolefins could excise great control over important material properties. As the most direct and economic strategy, the transition-metal-catalyzed copolymerization of olefins with polar, functionalized monomers represents one of the biggest challenges in this field. The presence of polar monomers usually dramatically reduces the catalytic activity and copolymer molecular weight (to the level of thousands or even hundreds Da), rendering the copolymerization process and the copolymer materials far from ideal for industrial applications. In this contribution, we demonstrate that these obstacles can be addressed through rational catalyst design. Copolymers with highly linear microstructures, high melting temperatures, and very high molecular weights (close to or above 1 000 000 Da) were generated. The direct synthesis of polar functionalized high-molecular-weight polyethylene was thus achieved.