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Nifant'ev I, Komarov P, Sadrtdinova G, Safronov V, Kolosov N, Ivchenko P. Mechanistic Insights of Ethylene Polymerization on Phillips Chromium Catalysts. Polymers (Basel) 2024; 16:681. [PMID: 38475365 DOI: 10.3390/polym16050681] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2024] [Revised: 02/28/2024] [Accepted: 02/29/2024] [Indexed: 03/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Silica-supported chromium oxide catalysts, also named Phillips chromium catalysts (PCCs), provide more than half of the world's production of high- and medium-density polyethylenes. PCCs are usually prepared in the Cr(VI)/SiO2 form, which is subjected to reductive activation. It has been explicitly proven that CO reduces Cr(VI) to Cr(II) species that initiate ethylene polymerization; ethylene activates Cr(VI) sites as well, but the nature of the catalytic species is complicated by the presence of the ethylene oxidation products. It is widely accepted that the catalytic species are of a Cr(III)-alkyl nature, but this common assumption faces the challenge of "extra" hydrogen: the formation of similar species under the action of even-electron reducing agents requires an additional H atom. Relatively recently, it was found that saturated hydrocarbons can also activate CrOx/SiO2, and alkyl fragments turn out to be bonded with a polyethylene chain. In recent years, there have been numerous experimental and theoretical studies of the structure and chemistry of PCCs at the different stages of preparation and activation. The use of modern spectral methods (such as extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS), X-ray absorption near-edge structure (XANES), and others); operando IR, UV-vis, EPR, and XAS spectroscopies; and theoretical approaches (DFT modeling, machine learning) clarified many essential aspects of the mechanisms of CrOx/SiO2 activation and catalytic behavior. Overall, the Cosse-Arlman mechanism of polymerization on Cr(III)-alkyl centers is confirmed in many works, but its theoretical support required the development of nontrivial and contentious mechanistic concepts of Cr(VI)/SiO2 or Cr(II)/SiO2 activation. On the other hand, conflicting experimental data continue to be obtained, and certain mechanistic concepts are being developed with the use of outdated models. Strictly speaking, the main question of what type of catalytic species, Cr(II), Cr(III), or Cr(IV), comes into polymerization still has not received an unambiguous answer. The role of the chemical nature of the support-through the prism of the nature, geometry, and distribution of the active sites-is also not clear in depth. In the present review, we endeavored to summarize and discuss the recent studies in the field of the preparation, activation, and action of PCCs, with a focus on existing contradictions in the interpretation of the experimental and theoretical results.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ilya Nifant'ev
- A.V. Topchiev Institute of Petrochemical Synthesis RAS, 29 Leninsky Pr., 119991 Moscow, Russia
- Department of Chemistry, M.V. Lomonosov Moscow University, 1-3 Leninskie Gory, 119991 Moscow, Russia
| | - Pavel Komarov
- A.V. Topchiev Institute of Petrochemical Synthesis RAS, 29 Leninsky Pr., 119991 Moscow, Russia
| | - Guzelia Sadrtdinova
- A.V. Topchiev Institute of Petrochemical Synthesis RAS, 29 Leninsky Pr., 119991 Moscow, Russia
- Faculty of Chemistry, National Research University Higher School of Economics, Myasnitskaya St. 20, 101100 Moscow, Russia
| | | | | | - Pavel Ivchenko
- A.V. Topchiev Institute of Petrochemical Synthesis RAS, 29 Leninsky Pr., 119991 Moscow, Russia
- Department of Chemistry, M.V. Lomonosov Moscow University, 1-3 Leninskie Gory, 119991 Moscow, Russia
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Werny MJ, Meirer F, Weckhuysen BM. Visualizing the Structure, Composition and Activity of Single Catalyst Particles for Olefin Polymerization and Polyolefin Decomposition. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2024; 63:e202306033. [PMID: 37782261 DOI: 10.1002/anie.202306033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2023] [Revised: 09/29/2023] [Accepted: 10/02/2023] [Indexed: 10/03/2023]
Abstract
The structural and morphological characterization of individual catalyst particles for olefin polymerization, as well as for the reverse process of polyolefin decomposition, can provide an improved understanding for how these catalyst materials operate under relevant reaction conditions. In this review, we discuss an emerging analytical toolbox of 2D and 3D chemical imaging techniques that is suitable for investigating the chemistry and reactivity of related catalyst systems. While synchrotron-based X-ray microscopy still provides unparalleled spatial resolutions in 2D and 3D, a number of laboratory-based techniques, most notably focused ion beam-scanning electron microscopy, confocal fluorescence microscopy, infrared photoinduced force microscopy and laboratory-based X-ray nano-computed tomography, have helped to significantly expand the arsenal of analytical tools available to scientists in heterogeneous catalysis and polymer science. In terms of future research, the review outlines the role and impact of in situ and operando (spectro-)microscopy experiments, involving sophisticated reactors as well as online reactant and product analysis, to obtain real-time information on the formation, decomposition, and mobility of polymer phases within single catalyst particles. Furthermore, the potential of fluorescence microscopy, X-ray microscopy and optical microscopy is highlighted for the high-throughput characterization of olefin polymerization and polyolefin decomposition catalysts. By combining these chemical imaging techniques with, for example, chemical staining methodologies, selective probe molecules as well as particle sorting approaches, representative structure-activity relationships can be derived at the level of single catalyst particles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maximilian J Werny
- Inorganic Chemistry and Catalysis, Institute for Sustainable and Circular Chemistry and Debye Institute for Nanomaterials Science, Utrecht University, Universiteitsweg 99, 3584, CG Utrecht, The Netherlands
- Dutch Polymer Institute (DPI), P.O. Box 902, 5600, AX Eindhoven, The Netherlands
| | - Florian Meirer
- Inorganic Chemistry and Catalysis, Institute for Sustainable and Circular Chemistry and Debye Institute for Nanomaterials Science, Utrecht University, Universiteitsweg 99, 3584, CG Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Bert M Weckhuysen
- Inorganic Chemistry and Catalysis, Institute for Sustainable and Circular Chemistry and Debye Institute for Nanomaterials Science, Utrecht University, Universiteitsweg 99, 3584, CG Utrecht, The Netherlands
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Huang C, Liu Z, Liu B, Terano M, Jin Y. Computational Insights into the Multisite Nature of the Phillips CrO x/SiO 2 Catalyst for Ethylene Polymerization: The Perspective of Chromasiloxane Ring Size and F Modification. ACS Catal 2022. [DOI: 10.1021/acscatal.1c04998] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Cuimin Huang
- Key Laboratory for Biobased Materials and Energy of Ministry of Education, College of Materials and Energy, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510630, People’s Republic of China
- Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Guangzhou 510630, People’s Republic of China
| | - Zhen Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Engineering, School of Chemical Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, People’s Republic of China
| | - Boping Liu
- Key Laboratory for Biobased Materials and Energy of Ministry of Education, College of Materials and Energy, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510630, People’s Republic of China
- Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Guangzhou 510630, People’s Republic of China
| | - Minoru Terano
- School of Materials Science, Japan Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, 1-1 Asahidai, Nomi, Ishikawa 923-1292, Japan
| | - Yulong Jin
- Key Laboratory for Biobased Materials and Energy of Ministry of Education, College of Materials and Energy, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510630, People’s Republic of China
- Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Guangzhou 510630, People’s Republic of China
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Wang D, Zhou S, Liu Y, Kang X, Liu S, Li Z, Braunstein P. Controlling Polyethylene Molecular Weights and Distributions Using Chromium Complexes Supported by SNN-Tridentate Ligands. Macromolecules 2022. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.macromol.1c02351] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Dongqi Wang
- Key Laboratory of Biobased Polymer Materials, College of Polymer Science and Engineering, Qingdao University of Science and Technology, Qingdao 266042, China
| | - Shengmei Zhou
- Key Laboratory of Biobased Polymer Materials, College of Polymer Science and Engineering, Qingdao University of Science and Technology, Qingdao 266042, China
| | - Yongxin Liu
- Key Laboratory of Biobased Polymer Materials, College of Polymer Science and Engineering, Qingdao University of Science and Technology, Qingdao 266042, China
| | - Xiaohui Kang
- College of Pharmacy, Dalian Medical University, Dalian 116044, China
| | - Shaofeng Liu
- Key Laboratory of Biobased Polymer Materials, College of Polymer Science and Engineering, Qingdao University of Science and Technology, Qingdao 266042, China
| | - Zhibo Li
- Key Laboratory of Biobased Polymer Materials, College of Polymer Science and Engineering, Qingdao University of Science and Technology, Qingdao 266042, China
- College of Chemical Engineering, Qingdao University of Science and Technology, Qingdao 266042, China
| | - Pierre Braunstein
- Laboratoire de Chimie de Coordination, CNRS, CHIMIE UMR 7177, Université de Strasbourg, 4 rue Blaise Pascal, 67081 Cedex Strasbourg, France
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Abstract
Both metallocene and Phillips chromium catalysts are used in the commercial manufacture of polyethylene. Unlike most other commercial metallocene systems, the Chevron Phillips Chemical (CPC) platform does not use methylaluminoxane or fluoroorganic boranes. Instead, the support itself serves to activate (ionize) the metallocenes, which then polymerize ethylene at high activity. Most of these solid acid supports can also be used to anchor Cr to make a Phillips catalyst. This provides an interesting opportunity to compare the polymerization responses by these two disparate systems, Phillips Cr and CPC metallocene, when supported on the same solid acid carriers. In this study, both chromium oxide and several metallocenes were deposited onto a variety of solid oxides, under a variety of conditions, and the resulting support effects were observed and compared. Although using seemingly different chemistries, the two catalyst systems exhibited a surprising number of similarities, which can be attributed to the acidity and porosity of these diverse supports.
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