Synthesis, structure and catalytic properties of new half-titanocene complexes bearing substituted cyclopentadienyl and aryloxide ligands

Abstract

New cyclopentadienyltitanium aryloxide complexes, 1-phenyl-2,3,4,5-Me4CpTi(O-2,6-ⁱPr₂-4-ⁿBu-C₆H₂)Cl₂ (1) and [4,4′-biphenyl-(2,3,4,5-Me₄Cp)₂][Ti(O-2,6-ⁱPr₂-4-ⁿBu-C₆H₂)Cl₂]₂ (2), have been prepared by treatment of cyclopentadienyltitanium trichloride complexes [PhMe₄CpTiCl₃ and 4,4′-biphenyl-(Me₄CpTiCl₃)₂] with 1 or 2 equiv of lithium salt of 2,6-di-isopropyl-4-butylphenol. Complexes 1 and 2 have been characterized by elemental analysis, ¹H and ¹³C NMR spectroscopy. The molecular structure of 1 has been determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. Upon activation with ⁱBu₃Al and Ph₃CB(C₆F₅)₄, 1 and 2 both exhibit good catalytic activity for ethylene polymerization, producing polyethylene with moderate molecular weight and melting point.

Keywords:

• Ethylene polymerization
• Half-titanocene
• Metallocene catalysts
• Olefin polymerization
• Polyethylene

Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 21004026).