The synthesis, structure, and ethylene polymerization of dimeric salicylaldiminato titanium complexes

Abstract

A series of dimeric titanium complexes bearing salicylaldiminates, [4-R-6-^tBu-2-(CH=NⁿBu)C₆H₂OTiCl₂(µ-Cl)]₂ [R = H (1); R = ^tBu (2); R = NO₂ (3)], have been synthesized in high yield (>90%) by the reaction of corresponding 4-R-6-^tBu-2-(CH=NⁿBu)C₆H₂OSiMe₃ with TiCl₄. The molecular structure of 2 has been confirmed by single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis. When activated with methylaluminoxane, these complexes exhibit good catalytic activity for ethylene polymerization.

Keywords:

• Titanium complex
• Polymerization
• Homogeneous catalysis
• Salicylaldiminato ligand

Acknowledgments

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 20804006), Specialized Research Fund for the Doctoral Program of Higher Education (No. 200801411015), and the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities (DUT11LK24).