Rational Design of Silicon-Bridged Fluorenyl−Phenoxy Group 4 Metal Complexes as Catalysts for Producing High Molecular Weight Copolymers of Ethylene and 1-Hexene at Elevated Temperature

Thermal-Robust Phenoxyimine Titanium Catalysts Bearing Bulky Sidearms for High Temperature Ethylene Homo-/Co- Polymerizations

A family of titanium complexes (Ti1-Ti7) with the general formula LTiCl3, supported by tridentate phenoxyimine [O-NO] ligands (L1-L7) bearing bulky sidearms, were synthesized by treating the corresponding ligands with stoichiometric amount of TiCl4. All the ligands and complexes were well characterized by 1H and 13C NMR spectroscopies, in which ortho- methoxyl groups on N-aryl moieties shifted to downfield, corroborating the successful coordination reaction. Structural optimization by DFT calculations revealed that one of the phenyl groups on dibenzhydryl moiety could form π-π stacking interaction with the salicylaldimine plane, because of which the obtained titanium complexes revealed good thermal stabilities for high-temperature polymerization of ethylene. The thermal robustness of the complexes was closely related to the strength of π-π stacking interactions, which were mainly influenced by the substituents on the dibenzhydryl moieties; Ti1, Ti4 and Ti5 emerged as the three best-performing complexes at 110 °C. With the aid of such π-π stacking interactions, the complexes were also found to be active at >150 °C, although decreased activities were witnessed. Besides homopolymerizations, complexes Ti1-Ti7 were also found to be active for the high-temperature copolymerization of ethylene and 1-octene, but with medium incorporation percentage, demonstrating their medium copolymerization capabilities.

Trends in Structure and Ethylene Polymerization Reactivity of Transition-Metal Permethylindenyl-phenoxy (PHENI*) Complexes

A family of ansa-permethylindenyl-phenoxy (PHENI*) transition-metal chloride complexes has been synthesized and characterized (1-7; {(η5-C9Me6)Me(R″)Si(2-R-4-R'-C6H2O)}MCl2; R,R' = Me, tBu, Cumyl (CMe2Ph); R″ = Me, nPr, Ph; M = Ti, Zr, Hf). The ancillary chloride ligands could readily be exchanged with halides, alkyls, alkoxides, aryloxides, or amides to form PHENI* complexes [L]TiX2 (8-17; X = Br, I, Me, CH2SiMe3, CH2Ph, NMe2, OEt, ODipp). The solid-state crystal structures of these PHENI* complexes indicate that one of two conformations may be preferred, parametrized by a characteristic torsion angle (TA'), in which the η5 system is either disposed away from the metal center or toward it. Compared to indenyl PHENICS complexes, the permethylindenyl (I*) ligand appears to favor a conformation in which the metal center is more accessible. When heterogenized on solid polymethylaluminoxane (sMAO), titanium PHENI* complexes exhibit exceptional catalytic activity toward the polymerization of ethylene. Substantially greater activities are reported than for comparable PHENICS catalysts, along with the formation of ultrahigh-molecular-weight polyethylenes (UHMWPE). Catalyst-cocatalyst ion pairing effects are observed in cationization experiments and found to be significant in homogeneous catalytic regimes; these effects are also related to the influence of the ancillary ligand leaving groups in slurry-phase polymerizations. Catalytic efficiency and polyethylene molecular weight are found to increase with pressure, and PHENI* catalysts can be categorized as being among the most active for the controlled synthesis of UHMWPE.

Towards designer polyolefins: highly tuneable olefin copolymerisation using a single permethylindenyl post-metallocene catalyst

Using a highly active permethylindenyl-phenoxy (PHENI*) titanium catalyst, high to ultra-high molecular weight ethylene-linear-α-olefin (E/LAO) copolymers are prepared in high yields under mild conditions (2 bar, 30-90 °C). Controllable, efficient, and predictable comonomer enchainment provides access to a continuum of copolymer compositions and a vast range of material properties using a single monomer-agnostic catalyst. Multivariate statistical tools are employed that combine the tuneability of this system with the analytical and predictive power of data-derived models, this enables the targeting of polyolefins with designer properties directly through predictive alteration of reaction conditions.

Efficient synthesis of thermoplastic elastomeric amorphous ultra-high molecular weight atactic polypropylene (UHMWaPP)

The synthesis of amorphous ultra-high molecular weight atactic polypropylene (UHMWaPP), with molecular weights (Mw) up to 2.0 MDa and narrow polydispersities is reported using remarkably efficient permethylindenyl-phenoxy (PHENI*) titanium complexes.

Supported permethylindenyl titanium catalysts for the synthesis of disentangled ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (disUHMWPE)

Novel permethylindenyl-phenoxide (PHENI*) ansa-metallocene titanium complexes have been synthesised and immobilised on inorganic solid supports to afford highly effective catalysts for slurry-phase ethylene polymerisation. When supported on solid polymethylaluminoxane these complexes were both extremely active (up to 3.7 × 10⁶ g_PE mol_Ti^-1 h^-1 bar^-1) and produced substantially disentangled polyethylene with a weight-average molecular weight (M_w) of 3.4 MDa (disUHMWPE).

Diamidophosphines with six-membered chelates and their coordination chemistry with group 4 metals: development of a trimethylene-methane-tethered [PN2]-type "molecular claw"

The coordination chemistry of the phosphine-tethered diamidophosphine ligands PhP(CH2CH2CH2NHPh)2 (pr[NPN]H2) and PhP(1,2-CH2-C6H4-NHSiMe3)2 (bn[NPN]H2) featuring six-membered N–C3–P chelates was explored with group 4 metals, which allowed for the consecutive development of a new trimethylene-methane-tethered [PN2] scaffold. In the case of the propylene-linked system pr[NPN]H2, access to the sparingly soluble dibenzyl derivative pr[NPN]ZrBn2 (3-Zr) was gained, while thermally sensitive zirconium and hafnium diiodo complexes bn[NPN]MI2 (5-M, M = Zr, Hf) were isolated in the case of the benzylene-linked derivative bn[NPN]H2. Despite the related phosphine-tethered backbone architectures of both of these ligands, their group 4 complexes were found to exhibit either C1-symmetric (bn[NPN]MX2) or averaged CS-symmetric (pr[NPN]MX2) structures in solution. To restrain the overall flexibility of these systems and thereby control the properties of the resulting complexes without disrupting the six-membered chelates, the new trimethylene-methane-tethered N,N′-di-(tert-butyl)-substituted [PN2]H2 protioligand was designed. This tripodal ligand system was prepared on a gram scale and its CS-symmetric dichloro complexes [PN2]MCl2 (6-M, M = Ti, Zr, Hf) were isolated subsequently. The benzene-soluble dibenzyl derivative [PN2]ZrBn2 (7-Zr) was synthesised as well and characterised by X-ray diffraction. These results are discussed not only in conjunction with the known [NPN]-coordinated group 4 complexes incorporating five-membered chelates, but also in the context of “molecular claws” that are related to the new [PN2] tripod.

Group 4 metal complexes bearing the aminoborane motif: origin of tandem ring-opening metathesis/vinyl-insertion polymerization

The origin of tandem ring-opening metathesis/vinyl-insertion polymerization using tailored group 4 metal complexes is outlined.

Post-metallocenes in the industrial production of polyolefins

Research on "post-metallocene" polymerization catalysis ranges methodologically from fundamental mechanistic studies of polymerization reactions over catalyst design to material properties of the polyolefins prepared. A common goal of these studies is the creation of practically useful new polyolefin materials or polymerization processes. This Review gives a comprehensive overview of post-metallocene polymerization catalysts that have been put into practice. The decisive properties for this success of a given catalyst structure are delineated.