The catalysis of the stereospecific butadiene polymerization by Allyl Nickel and Allyl Lanthanide complexes - A mechanistic comparison

Rare-Earth Metallocenes for Polymerization of Olefins and Conjugated Dienes: From Fundamental Studies to Olefin Block Copolymers

The various steps in the mechanism of olefin polymerizations mediated by neutral rare-earth metallocene complexes are discussed. The complexes are either trivalent hydride and alkyl rare-earth compounds or divalent metallocenes that are activated by the monomer via an oxidation step. The stereospecific polymerizations of conjugated dienes based on the association of a cationic metallocene complex and an alkylaluminum and the polymerization mechanism based on monomer insertion into an aluminum-carbon bond are also discussed. The exploitation of metallocene complexes for the copolymerization of olefins with conjugated dienes is the subject of a third part of this review. The synthesis of new elastomers called ethylene butadiene rubber (EBR) is highlighted. Finally, the use of rare-earth metallocenes in macromolecular engineering is detailed. This includes the synthesis of functional polyolefins and block copolymers including thermoplastic elastomers.

BUTADIENE RUBBER: SYNTHESIS, MICROSTRUCTURE, AND ROLE OF CATALYSTS

Butadiene rubber (BR) is one of the most useful and second most produced rubber worldwide. Polymerization of 1,3-butadiene (BD) is a highly stereospecific reaction that offers a wide variety of BR with different microstructures and influences the fundamental properties of the rubber. Since the first successful polymerization of conjugated diene using the Ziegler–Natta–based catalyst (TiCl4 or TiCl3 with aluminum alkyls) in 1954, the research on producing synthetic rubber with an appropriate catalyst system has been accelerated. Subsequently, various research groups are actively engaged in designing active catalyst systems based on a suitable combination of transition metal complexes with alkyl-aluminum and successfully using them in BD polymerization. Although various scientific inventions have proven their significance for the production of high-quality BR, with the rising demands in improving the quality of the product, research on developing new catalyst systems with enhanced catalytic activity and high stereoselectivity is still in progress. The present review focuses on the synthesis of BR using various transition metal catalysts and discusses their microstructures. The catalysts based on new-generation metal complexes with phosphorus, nitrogen, and oxygen donor ligands (e.g., phosphines, imines, 1,10-phenanthroline, and imino-pyridines) have been introduced. The role that catalysts play in the production of BR with different microstructures (i.e., high-cis, high-trans or low-cis, low-trans polybutadiene) has also been described. The combination of catalyst (transition metal complex) and suitable co-catalyst (alkyl-aluminum) is the major factor influencing the reaction and microstructure of the resulting polymer. This report focuses on the effect of transition metal catalysts (i.e., lithium [Li], titanium [Ti], zirconium [Zr], iron [Fe], cobalt [Co], nickel [Ni], and neodymium [Nd]) on the activity and stereoselectivity of polymers such as 1,4-cis-, 1,4-trans-, and 1,2-vinyl-polybutadiene.

Neodymium catalysts for polymerization of dienes, vinyl monomers, and ε-caprolactone

This review discusses various neodymium catalysts for stereospecific polymerization of dienes, vinyl monomers, and ε-caprolactone.

Synthesis of butadiene/isoprene–styrene di-block copolymer with high cis-1,4 unit content based on a neodymium phosphate ester

A novel two-step synthesis strategy based on a liquid neodymium phosphate ester (Nd(P₅₀₇)₃) catalyst was used to synthesize diene-styrene di-block copolymers with high cis-1,4 unit content, such as butadiene–styrene (PB-b-PS), isoprene–styrene (PI-b-PS), and so on. The strategy not only makes full use of the high cis-1,4 stereo-selectivity of the rare earth catalyst to conjugated dienes, but also adjusts the electron cloud density of the catalytic active center by introducing triphenyl phosphine (PPh₃). Thus, the catalytic activity of the neodymium-based catalyst center toward styrene has been largely improved, and a series of PB/PI-b-PSs with high cis-1,4 unit content (98.3 and 98.1% respectively), narrow molecular weight distribution and controllable block ratio were successfully synthesized. Herein, molecular weight (M_n), molecular weight distribution (M_w/M_n) and microstructure of the block polymers were characterized using SEC-MALLS, FT-IR, ¹H NMR, ¹³C NMR and DSC. The DSC curve of a PB-b-PS with 98.3% cis-1,4 unit and 18.6% polystyrene content shows a T_g of −103.1 °C, which means it has relatively excellent mechanical properties at lower temperature. The results show that these PB/PI-b-PS materials have good application prospects in harsh low temperature environments.

A novel synthesis strategy of butadiene/isoprene–styrene di-block copolymer with high cis-1,4 content was explored based on a neodymium phosphate catalyst, by adjusting the electron cloud density of the catalytic active center via triphenyl phosphine.

A novel synthetic strategy for styrene-butadiene-styrene tri-block copolymer with high cis-1,4 units via changing catalytic active centres

A styrene-butadiene-styrene tri-block copolymer (SBS) with a high cis-1,4 unit content (greater than 97%) was synthesized by a novel synthetic strategy based on changing the catalytic active centres using n-butyllithium and a nickel-based catalyst. Firstly, styrene was polymerized via anionic polymerization using butyllithium as the initiator (Li, activity centre Li) at 50°C. The obtained alkylated macroinitiator (PSLi) was aged with nickel naphthenate (Ni) and boron trifluoride etherate (B) to prepare a second reactive centre (Ni-F), which was used to initiate the polymerization of butadiene (Bd). Finally, triphenyl phosphine (PPh3) was added to adjust the electron density of the third active centre (P-Ni-F), and styrene monomer was added again to synthesize the second polystyrene block to obtain SBS. The polymerization technique presented here is simple and has an efficient initiation effect due to the high initiation activities for the different monomers. It also exhibits excellent control over the stereo-structure of the butadiene segments in the prepared copolymers, and the SBS polymers with high cis-1,4 unit content were easily achieved.

A New Strategy for the Synthesis of Hydroxyl Terminated Polystyrene-b-Polybutadiene-b-Polystyrene Triblock Copolymer with High Cis-1, 4 Content

This work reports the preparation of a hydroxyl terminated polystyrene-b-polybutadiene-b-polystyrene triblock copolymer (SBS) with high cis-1, 4 content via a novel nickel catalyst, [η³-Ni(CH₂CHCHCH₂OOCH₃)][BPh^F₄]. FT-IR, ¹H-NMR, and ¹³C NMR indicated that the polybutadiene segment of the copolymer contains greater than 90% cis-1, 4 structure, indicating achievement of the objective. Toward the functionalization goal, a hydroxyl group was successfully introduced at the end of the triblock copolymer (HO–SBS–OH). The results of gel permeation chromatography (GPC) revealed that the polymer is indeed a triblock copolymer, with no traces of homopolymer. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) showed that HO–SBS–OH synthesized using the novel catalyst had a lower glass transition temperature (T_g) than HO–SBS–OH synthesized with an alkyl lithium catalyst. Therefore, the polymer synthesized via the novel catalyst contains high cis-1,4 content and displays excellent low-temperature mechanical properties.

A New Synthesis Strategy on Styrene-Butadiene Di-Block Copolymer Containing High cis-1,4 Unit Via Transfer of Anionic to Coordination Polymerization

A novel synthesis strategy on styrene-butadiene di-block copolymer (PS-b-PB) with high cis-1,4 unit content was developed, based on a transfer technique from anionic to coordination polymerization. Firstly, the styrene monomer was initiated by n-butyllithium (Li) utilizing anionic polymerization at 50 °C, which resulted in a macromolecular alkylating initiator (PSLi). Secondly, PSLi was aged with nickel naphthenate (Ni) and boron trifluoride etherate (B) for obtaining a complex catalyst system (Ni/PSLi/B). Then, Ni/PSLi/B was applied to initiate the butadiene (Bd) polymerization. Following this new strategy, a series of PS-b-PBs were successfully synthesized. The experimental results indicated that under the molar ratio combination of [Li]/[Ni] = 5 and [B]/[Li] = 1, styrene-butadiene di-block copolymers could be easily achieved with high cis-1,4 unit content (>97%) and controlled molecular weight as well as narrow molecular weight distribution (Mw/Mn < 1.5). Furthermore, the copolymer's block ratio could also be effectively controlled by controlling the two components' monomer feed ratio.

1,3-Diene Polymerization Mediated by Homoleptic Tetramethylaluminates of the Rare-Earth Metals

During the past two decades homoleptic tetramethylaluminates of the trivalent rare-earth metals, Ln(AlMe4)3, have emerged as useful components for efficient catalyst design in the field of 1,3-diene polymerization. Previous work had focused on isoprene polymerization applying Ln(AlMe4)3 precatalysts with Ln = La, Ce, Pr, Nd, Gd and Y, in the presence of Et2AlCl as an activator. Polymerizations employing Ln(AlMe4)3 with Ln = La, Y and Nd along with borate/borane co-catalysts [Ph3C][B(C6F5)4], [PhNMe2H][B(C6F5)4] and [B(C6F5)3] were mainly investigated for reasons of comparison with ancillary ligand-supported systems (cf. half-sandwich complexes). The present study investigates into a total of eleven rare-earth elements, namely Ln = La, Ce, Pr, Nd, Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Y, Er and Lu. A full overview on the polymerization behavior of Ln(AlMe4)3 in the presence of perfluorinated borate/borane cocatalysts and R2AlCl-type activators (R = Me, Et) is provided, probing the monomers isoprene and 1,3-butadiene (and preliminary ethylene). Virtually complete cis-1,4-selectivities are obtained for several catalyst/cocatalyst combinations (e.g., Gd(AlMe4)3/Me2AlCl, >99.9%). Insights into the ‘black box’ of active species are obtained by indirect observations via screening of pre-reaction time and cocatalyst concentration. The microstructure of the polydienes is investigated by combined 1H/13C NMR and ATR-IR spectroscopies. Furthermore, the reaction of [LuMe6(Li(thf)x)3] with AlMe3 has been applied as a new strategy for the efficient synthesis of Lu(AlMe4)3. The solid-state structures of Gd(AlMe4)3 and Tb(AlMe4)3 are reported.

Synthesis of stereodiblock polyisoprene consisting of cis-1,4 and trans-1,4 sequences by using a neodymium catalyst: change of the stereospecificity triggered by an aluminum compound

The synthesis of stereodiblock polyisoprene which consists ofcis-1,4 andtrans-1,4 sequences was achieved by using a neodymium catalyst.

Mechanistic insight into the selective trans-1,4-polymerization of butadiene by terpyridine–iron(II) complexes — A computational study

The density functional theory (DFT) method has been employed to unravel mechanistic intricacies of the 1,4-polymerization of 1,3-butadiene mediated by the [(η3-RC3H4)FeII(C15H11N3)(η2-C4H6)]+ terpyridine–iron(II) active catalyst species. The π-allyl-insertion mechanism is operative for chain growth, whilst the alternative σ-allyl-insertion mechanism has been explicitly demonstrated as being inoperable. This study elucidates the mechanism of cis–trans regulation and unveils the factors that govern the observed high trans-1,4 stereoselectivity, in particular, the discriminative role of allylic isomerization. An atactic trans-1,4-polydiene is expected from polymerization of a terminally monosubstituted butadiene, the experimental results of which have not been reported thus far.

Reaction mechanism and structure-reactivity relationships in the stereospecific 1,4-polymerization of butadiene catalyzed by neutral dimeric allylnickel(II) halides [Ni(C3H5)X]2 (X- = Cl-, Br-, I-): a comprehensive density functional theory study

For the first time, a comprehensive and consistent picture of the catalytic cycle of 1,4-polymerization of butadiene with neutral dimeric allylnickel(II) halides [Ni(C3H5)X]2 (X = Cl- (I), Br- (II), and I- (III)) as single-site catalysts has been derived by means of quantum chemical calculations that employ a gradient-corrected density-functional method. All crucial reaction steps of the entire catalytic course have been scrutinized, taking into account butadiene pi complex formation, symmetrical and asymmetrical splitting of dimeric pi complexes, cis-butadiene insertion, and anti-syn isomerization. The present investigation examines, in terms of located structures, energies and activation barriers, the participation of postulated intermediates, in particular it aimed to clarify whether monomeric or dimeric species are the catalytically active species. Prior qualitative mechanistic assumptions are substituted by the presented theoretically well-founded and detailed analysis of both the thermodynamic and the kinetic aspects, that substantially improve the insight into the reaction course and enlarge them with novel mechanistic proposals. From a mechanistic point of view, all three catalysts exhibit common characteristics. First, chain propagation occurs by cis-butadiene insertion into the pi-butenylnickel(II) bond with nearly identical intrinsic free-energy activation barriers. Second, the reactivity of syn-butenyl forms is distinctly higher than that of anti forms. Third, the chain-propagation step is rate-determining in the entire polymerization process, and the pre-established anti-syn equilibrium can always be regarded as attained. Accordingly, neutral dimeric allylnickel(II) halides catalyze the formation of a stereo-regular trans-1,4-polymer under kinetic control following the k1t channel with butenyl(halide)(butadiene)NiII complexes being the catalytically active species. Production of a stereoregular cis-1,4-polymer with allylnickel chloride can only be explained by making the k2c channel accessible by the formation of polybutadienyl(butadiene) complexes, which is accompanied by the coordination of the next double bond in the growing chain to the NiII center.