Activity and stability spontaneously enhanced toward ethylene polymerization by employing 2-(1-(2,4-dibenzhydrylnaphthylimino)ethyl)-6-(1-(arylimino)ethyl) pyridyliron(II) dichlorides

Thermally Stable and Highly Efficient N,N,N-Cobalt Olefin Polymerization Catalysts Affixed with N-2,4-Bis(Dibenzosuberyl)-6-Fluorophenyl Groups

The cobalt(II) chloride N,N,N-pincer complexes, [2-{(2,4-(C15H13)2-6-FC6H2)N=CMe}-6-(ArN=CMe)C5H3N]CoCl2 (Ar = 2,6-Me2C6H3) (Co1), 2,6-Et2C6H3 (Co2), 2,6-i-Pr2C6H3 (Co3), 2,4,6-Me3C6H2 (Co4), 2,6-Et2-4-MeC6H2 (Co5), and [2,6-{(2,4-(C15H13)2-6-FC6H2)N=CMe}2C5H3N]CoCl2 (Co6), each containing at least one N-2,4-bis(dibenzosuberyl)-6-fluorophenyl group, were synthesized in good yield from their corresponding unsymmetrical (L1–L5) and symmetrical bis(imino)pyridines (L6). The molecular structures of Co1 and Co2 spotlighted their distorted square pyramidal geometries (τ5 value range: 0.23–0.29) and variations in steric hindrance offered by the dissimilar N-aryl groups. On activation with either MAO or MMAO, Co1–Co6 all displayed high activities for ethylene polymerization, with levels falling in the order: Co1 > Co4 > Co5 > Co2 > Co3 > Co6. Indeed, the least sterically hindered 2,6-dimethyl Co1 in combination with MAO exhibited a very high activity of 1.15 × 107 g PE mol−1 (Co) h−1 at the operating temperature of 70 °C, which dropped by only 15% at 80 °C and 43% at 90 °C. Vinyl-terminated polyethylenes of high linearity and narrow dispersity were generated by all catalysts, with the most sterically hindered, Co3 and Co6, producing the highest molecular weight polymers [Mw range: 30.26–33.90 kg mol−1 (Co3) and 42.90–43.92 kg mol−1 (Co6)]. In comparison with structurally related cobalt catalysts, it was evident that the presence of the N-2,4-bis(dibenzosuberyl)-6-fluorophenyl groups had a limited effect on catalytic activity but a marked effect on thermal stability.

4,4'-Dimethoxybenzhydryl substituent augments performance of bis(imino)pyridine cobalt-based catalysts in ethylene polymerization

A series of cobalt complexes with bis(imino)pyridine derivatives featuring unsymmetrical substitution with bulky groups has been synthesized and characterized. The molecular structures of two representatives have been determined by the single-crystal X-ray diffraction study, revealing distorted tetrahedral geometry with different degrees of steric hindrance imparted by the two inequivalent aryl groups attached to the imine nitrogen atoms. On activation with either MAO or MMAO, these complexes display high activity toward ethylene polymerization, reaching 8.71 × 10⁶ g of PE (mol of Co)⁻¹ h⁻¹ at 60 °C and produce polyethylene of high molecular weight (M_w = 5.27 × 10⁵ g mol⁻¹) and low dispersity. The presence of the methoxy-substituent noticeably enhances the activity of the cobalt catalyst and increases the molecular weight of the resultant polyethylene.

Employing ligands with 4,4′-dimethoxybenzhydryl groups, the cobalt precatalysts display high activities toward ethylene polymerization and produce highly linear polyethylenes, the high density polyethylene (HDPE).

Investigations on the Ethylene Polymerization with Bisarylimine Pyridine Iron (BIP) Catalysts

The kinetics and terminations of ethylene polymerization, mediated by five bisarylimine pyridine (BIP) iron dichloride precatalysts, and activated by large amounts of methyl aluminoxane (MAO) was studied. Narrow distributed paraffins from initially formed aluminum polymeryls and broader distributed 1-polyolefins and (bimodal) mixtures, thereof, were obtained after acidic workup. The main pathway of olefin formation is beta-hydrogen transfer to ethylene. The rate of polymerization in the initial phase is inversely proportional to the co-catalyst concentration for all pre-catalysts; a first-order dependence was found on ethylene and catalyst concentrations. The inhibition by aluminum alkyls is released to some extent in a second phase, which arises after the original methyl groups are transformed into n-alkyl entities and the aluminum polymeryls partly precipitate in the toluene medium. The catalysis is interpretable in a mechanism, wherein, the relative rate of chain shuttling, beta-hydrogen transfer and insertion of ethylene are determining the outcome. Beta-hydrogen transfer enables catalyst mobility, which leads to a (degenerate) chain growth of already precipitated aluminum alkyls. Stronger Lewis acidic centers of the single site catalysts, and those with smaller ligands, are more prone to yield 1-olefins and to undergo a faster reversible alkyl exchange between aluminum and iron.

Doubly fused N,N,N-iron ethylene polymerization catalysts appended with fluoride substituents; probing catalytic performance via a combined experimental and MLR study

In agreement with the MLR analysis, the fluorinated iron precatalyst, R¹ = F, R² = R³ = CH(p-FPh)₂, proved the most active at 70 °C generating strictly linear polyethylene waxes.

Remote dibenzocycloheptyl substitution on a bis(arylimino)pyridyl-iron ethylene polymerization catalyst; enhanced thermal stability and unexpected effects on polymer properties

The title iron catalyst displays exceptionally high catalytic activity at 70 °C and high activity at 100 °C; wax-like properties are a feature of the polyethylenes as are the narrow dispersities.

Fluorinated cobalt catalysts and their use in forming narrowly dispersed polyethylene waxes of high linearity and incorporating vinyl functionality

The depicted cobalt catalysts bearing ortho-fluorine and fluorinated ortho-benzhydryl substituents displayed a preference for forming highly linear PE waxes; DFT studies have been used to probe this selectivity.

Achieving polydispersive HDPE by N,N,N-Co precatalysts appended with N-2,4-bis(di(4-methoxyphenyl)methyl)-6-methylphenyl

A family of unsymmetrical 2-(2,4-bis(di(4-methoxyphenyl)methyl)-6-MeC₆H₂N)-6-(1-(arylimino)ethyl)pyridine-cobalt dichloride complexes has been synthesized and characterized by NMR spectroscopy, FT-IR spectroscopy and elemental analysis as well as single crystal X-ray diffraction for Co2 and Co4. Activated with either MAO or MMAO, all the cobalt precatalysts displayed high activities toward ethylene polymerization and produced highly linear polyethylenes with high molecular weights as well as wide polydispersities; for example, the performance using Co1/MAO at 50 °C reached 9.17 × 10⁶ g PE (mol of Co)⁻¹ h⁻¹ with the production polyethylene of molecular weight as high as M_w = 3.14 × 10⁵ g mol⁻¹, T_m = 134.3 °C besides its wide polydispersity of M_w/M_n of 54.6. Besides the terminal vinyl group of the resultant polyethylenes, it is rare for a late-transition metal catalyst to achieve highly linear polyethylenes with not only wide polydispersity but also high molecular weights, being similar to high-density polyethylenes produced using Phillips catalyst.

Introducing a practical application of N,N,N-Co precatalysts for highly linear polyethylenes with wide polydispersity and high molecular weights, targeting HDPE using Phillips catalyst.

6-Arylimino-2-(2-(1-phenylethyl)naphthalen-1-yl)-iminopyridylmetal (Fe and Co) Complexes as Highly Active Precatalysts for Ethylene Polymerization: Influence of Metal and/or Substituents on the Active, Thermostable Performance of Their Complexes and Resultant Polyethylenes

A series of 6-arylimino-2-(2-(1-phenylethyl)naphthalen-1-yl)iminopyridines and their iron(II) and cobalt(II) complexes (Fe1–Fe5, Co1–Co5) were synthesized and routinely characterized as were Co3 and Co5 complexes, studied by single crystal X-ray crystallography, which individually displayed a distorted square pyramidal or trigonal bipyramid around a cobalt center. Upon treatment with either methyluminoxane (MAO) or modified methyluminoxane (MMAO), all complexes displayed high activities regarding ethylene polymerization even at an elevated temperature, enhancing the thermostability of the active species. In general, iron precatalysts showed higher activities than their cobalt analogs; for example, 10.9 × 10⁶ g(PE) mol⁻¹ (Co) h⁻¹ by Co4 and 17.0 × 10⁶ g(PE) mol⁻¹ (Fe) h⁻¹ by Fe4. Bulkier substituents are favored for increasing the molecular weights of the resultant polyethylenes, such as 25.6 kg mol⁻¹ obtained by Co3 and 297 kg mol⁻¹ obtained by Fe3. A narrow polydispersity of polyethylenes was observed by iron precatalysts activated by MMAO, indicating a single-site active species formed.

4,4'-Difluorobenzhydryl-modified bis(imino)-pyridyliron(ii) chlorides as thermally stable precatalysts for strictly linear polyethylenes with narrow dispersities

The 4,4'-difluorobenzhydryl-modified bis(imino)pyridylferrous chlorides, [2-{CMeN(2,6-(4-FC6H4)2CH2-4-t-BuC6H2)}-6-(CMeNAr)C5H3N] FeCl2 (Ar = 2,6-Me2C6H3Fe1, 2,6-Et2C6H3Fe2, 2,6-i-Pr2C6H3Fe3, 2,4,6-Me3C6H2Fe4, 2,6-Et-4-MeC6H2Fe5 and 2,6-(4-FC6H4)2CH2-4-t-BuC6H2Fe6), were synthesized in good yields. All iron complexes were characterized by 1H/19F NMR and elemental analysis, and the molecular structures of representative complexes Fe1 and Fe6 were determined by single crystal X-ray diffraction, which revealed a slightly distorted square pyramid around the iron center. Activated with either MAO or MMAO, Fe1-Fe5 exhibited very high activities (up to 17.2 × 106 g (PE) mol-1 (Fe) h-1 for Fe1/MMAO) toward ethylene polymerization, producing highly linear polyethylenes with narrow dispersities as required by industry and value added PEs. Importantly, the Fe1/MAO maintained an activity of 9.5 × 106 g (PE) mol-1 (Fe) h-1 at 100 °C of operating temperature, making the catalytic system suitable for practical application. Simulation quantitatively revealed the mechanism of the enhanced catalytic performance from the electronic and steric point of view.

Probing the effect of ortho-cycloalkyl ring size on activity and thermostability in cycloheptyl-fused N,N,N-iron ethylene polymerization catalysts

The depicted iron(ii) precatalysts displayed exceptionally high activities for ethylene polymerization at temperatures of up 100 °C producing linear polyethylene with a wide range of molecular weights.

Activity and Thermal Stability of Cobalt(II)-Based Olefin Polymerization Catalysts Adorned with Sterically Hindered Dibenzocycloheptyl Groups

Five examples of unsymmetrical 2-(2,4-bis(dibenzocycloheptyl)-6-methylphenyl- imino)ethyl)-6-(1-(arylyimino)ethyl)pyridine derivatives (aryl = 2,6-Me₂C₆H₃ in L1; 2,6-Et₂C₆H₃ in L2; 2,6-i-Pr₂C₆H₃ in L3; 2,4,6-Me₃C₆H₂ in L4 and 2,6-Et₂-4-MeC₆H₂ in L5) were prepared and characterized. Treatment with CoCl₂ offered the corresponding cobalt precatalysts Co1–Co5, which were characterized by FT-IR and NMR spectroscopy as well as elemental analysis. The molecular structures of Co3 and Co4 determined by single crystal X-ray diffraction revealed distorted square pyramidal geometries with τ₅ values of 0.052–0.215. Activated with either MAO or MMAO, the precatalysts displayed high activities in ethylene polymerization, where Co1 with the least bulky substituents exhibited a peak activity of 1.00 × 10⁷ g PE mol⁻¹ (Co) h⁻¹ at 60 °C. With MAO as a cocatalyst, the activity was reduced only by one order of magnitude at 90 °C, which implies thermally stable active sites. The polymerization product was highly linear polyethylene with vinyl end groups. Co3 with the most sterically hindered active sites was capable of generating polyethylene of high molecular weight, reaching 6.46 × 10⁵ g mol⁻¹. Furthermore, high melting point and unimodal molecular weight distribution were observed in the resulting polyethylene. It must be stressed that the thermal stability of the catalyst and the molecular weight of the obtained polyethylene attain the highest values reported for the unsymmetrical 2,6-bis(imino)pyridylcobalt (II) chloride precatalysts.

Highly Linear Polyethylenes Achieved Using Thermo-Stable and Efficient Cobalt Precatalysts Bearing Carbocyclic-Fused NNN-Pincer Ligand

Six examples of 2-(1-arylimino)ethyl-9-arylimino-5,6,7,8-tetrahydrocycloheptapyridine-cobalt(II) chloride complexes, [2-(1-ArN)C₂H₃-9-ArN-5,6,7,8-C₅H₈C₅H₃N]CoCl₂, (Ar = 2-(C₅H₉)-6-MeC₆H₃Co1, 2-(C₆H₁₁)-6-MeC₆H₃Co2, 2-(C₈H₁₅)-6-MeC₆H₃Co3, 2-(C₅H₉)-4,6-Me₂C₆H₂Co4, 2-(C₆H₁₁)-4,6-Me₂C₆H₂Co5, and 2-(C₈H₁₅)-4,6-Me₂C₆H₂Co6), were synthesized by the direct reaction of the corresponding ortho-cycloalkyl substituted carbocyclic-fused bis(arylimino)pyridines (L1–L6) and cobalt(II) chloride in ethanol with good yields. All the synthesized ligands (L1–L6) and their corresponding cobalt complexes (Co1–Co6) were fully characterized by FT-IR, ¹H/¹³C-NMR spectroscopy and elemental analysis. The crystal structure of Co2 and Co3 revealed that the ring puckering of both the ortho-cyclohexyl/cyclooctyl substituents and the one pyridine-fused seven-membered ring; a square-based pyramidal geometry is conferred around the metal center. On treatment with either methylaluminoxane (MAO) or modified methylaluminoxane (MMAO), all the six complexes showed high activities (up to 4.09 × 10⁶ g of PE mol⁻¹ (Co) h⁻¹) toward ethylene polymerization at temperatures between 20 °C and 70 °C with the catalytic activities correlating with the type of ortho-cycloalkyl substituent: Cyclopentyl (Co1 and Co4) > cyclohexyl (Co2 and Co5) > cyclooctyl (Co3 and Co6) for either R = H or Me and afforded strictly linear polyethylene (T_m > 130 °C). The narrow unimodal distributions of the resulting polymers are consistent with single-site active species for the precatalyst. Furthermore, compared to the previously reported cobalt analogues, the titled precatalysts exhibited good thermo-stability (up to 70 °C) and possessed longer lifetime along with a higher molecular weight of PE (M_w: 9.2~25.3 kg mol⁻¹).

Enhancing thermostability of iron ethylene polymerization catalysts through N,N,N-chelation of doubly fused α,α′-bis(arylimino)-2,3:5,6-bis(hexamethylene)pyridines

At temperatures up to 80 °C, high catalytic activity and high molecular weight PE was achievable using the Fe-catalyst depicted.

Bis(imino)pyridines fused with 6- and 7-membered carbocylic rings as N,N,N-scaffolds for cobalt ethylene polymerization catalysts

Mixed carbocyclic-fused bis(arylimino)pyridine-cobalt(ii) chlorides, on activation with either MAO or MMAO, displayed high activities for ethylene polymerization affording linear polyethylene waxes; high selectivity for vinyl end-groups is a feature of MAO-promoted systems.

Steric and electronic modulation of iron catalysts as a route to remarkably high molecular weight linear polyethylenes

The depicted N,N,N-iron(ii) chloride precatalysts, upon activation with either MAO or MMAO, not only display excellent thermal stability but are also capable of generating exceptionally high molecular weight linear polyethylenes.

ortho-Cycloalkyl substituted N,N'-diaryliminoacenaphthene-Ni(ii) catalysts for polyethylene elastomers; exploring ring size and temperature effects

A family of six unsymmetrical N,N'-diiminoacenaphthene-nickel(ii) bromide complexes, [1-{2,6-(Ph₂CH)₂-4-MeC₆H₂N}-2-(ArN)C₂C₁₀H₆]NiBr₂ (Ar = 2-(C₆H₁₁)-6-MeC₆H₂Ni1, 2-(C₅H₉)-6-MeC₆H₂Ni2, 2-(C₈H₁₅)-6-MeC₆H₂Ni3, 2-(C₆H₁₁)-4,6-Me₂C₆H₂Ni4, 2-(C₅H₉)-4,6-Me₂C₆H₂Ni5, 2-(C₈H₁₅)-4,6-Me₂C₆H₂Ni6), each bearing one ring-size variable 4-R-2-methyl-6-cycloalkyl-substituted N-aryl group and one N'-4-methyl-2,6-dibenzhydrylphenyl group, have been prepared and fully characterized. The molecular structures of Ni1, Ni2, Ni3 and Ni5 reveal distorted tetrahedral geometries with different degrees of steric protection imparted by the two inequivalent N-aryl groups. On activation with either EASC or MMAO, all the precatalysts are highly active (up to 17.45 × 10⁶ g PE mol^-1 (Ni) h^-1) for ethylene polymerization at 20-50 °C with their activities correlating with the type of cycloalkyl ortho-substituent: cyclooctyl (Ni6, Ni3) > the cyclopentyl (Ni5, Ni2) > cyclohexyl (Ni4, Ni1) for either R = H or Me. Moderately branched to hyperbranched polyethylenes (T_m's as low as 44.2 °C) can be obtained with molecular weights in the range 2.14-6.68 × 10⁵ g mol^-1 with the branching content enhanced by the temperature of the polymerization. Dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) and monotonic tensile stress-strain tests have been employed on the polyethylene samples and reveal the more branched materials to show good elastic recovery properties (up to 75.5%).

Elastomeric polyethylenes accessible via ethylene homo-polymerization using an unsymmetrical α-diimino-nickel catalyst

Elastomeric polyethylenes, with good elastic recovery and high elongation at break, have been prepared using a new family of unsymmetrical α-diimino-nickel catalysts that display high activities and high thermal stability.