Abstract
Binucleating multidentate amine bis(phenolate) ligands with rigid terphenyl backbones were designed to support two zirconium centers locked in close proximity. Polymerizations of propylene or 1-hexene with the synthesized bimetallic precatalysts resulted in polymers with significantly higher isotacticity (up to 79% mmmm) in comparison to the stereoirregular polymers produced with previously reported Cs-symmetric monometallic analogues. The bimetallic precatalysts also display higher activity (up to 124 kg of poly(1-hexene) (mmol of Zr)-1 h-1), in comparison to the monometallic analogues, and among the highest activities reported for nonmetallocene catalysts. The stereocontrol is consistent with a bimetallic mechanism involving remote steric interactions with the ligand sphere of the second metal center.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 3247-3250 |
Number of pages | 4 |
Journal | Organometallics |
Volume | 33 |
Issue number | 13 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Jul 14 2014 |