Molecular weight control in organochromium olefin polymerization catalysis by hemilabile ligand-metal interactions.

A series of Cr(III) complexes based on quinoline-cyclopentadienyl ligands with additional hemilabile side arms were prepared and used as single-site catalyst precursors for ethylene polymerization. The additional donor functions interact with the metal centers only after activation with the co-catalyst. Evidence for this comes from DFT-calculations and from the differing behavior of the complexes in ethylene polymerization. All complexes investigated show very high catalytic activity and the additional side arm minimizes chain-transfer reactions, leading to increase of molecular weights of the resulting polymers.

Mesoporous silica supported multiple single-site catalysts and polyethylene reactor blends with tailor-made trimodal and ultra-broad molecular weight distributions.

A ternary blend of the bisiminopyridine chromium (III) (Cr-1) with the bisiminopyridine iron (II) (Fe-2) post-metallocenes with the quinolylsilylcyclopentadienyl chromium (III) halfsandwich complex (Cr-3) was supported on mesoporous silica to produce novel multiple single-site catalysts and polyethylene reactor blends with tailor-made molecular weight distributions (MWDs). The preferred cosupporting sequence of this ternary blend on MAO-treated silica was Fe-2 followed by Cr-1 and Cr-3. Cosupporting does not impair the single-site nature of the blend components producing polyethylene fractions with $\overline M _{\rm w}$ = 10(4) g · mol(-1) on Cr-1, $\overline M _{\rm w}$ = 3 × 10(5) g · mol(-1) on Fe-2, and $\overline M _{\rm w}$ = 3 × 10(6) g · mol(-1) on Cr-3. As a function of the Fe-2/Cr-1/Cr-2 mixing ratio it is possible to control the weight ratio of these three polyethylenes without affecting the individual average molecular weights and narrow polydispersities of the three polyethylene fractions. Tailor-made polyethylene reactor blends with ultra-broad MWD and polydispersities varying between 10 and 420 were obtained. When the molar ratio of Fe-2/Cr-1 was constant, the ultra-high molecular polyethylene (UHMWPE, $\overline M _{\rm w}$ > 10(6) g · mol(-1) ) content was varied between 8 and 16 wt.-% as a function of the Cr-3 content without impairing the blend ratio of the other two polyethylene fractions and without sacrificing melt processability. When the molar ratio Fe-2/Cr-3 was constant, it was possible to selectively increase the content of the low molecular weight fraction by additional cosupporting of Cr-1. Due to the intimate mixing of low and ultra-high molecular weight polyethylenes (UHMPEs) produced on cosupported single-site catalysts a wide range of melt processable polyethylene reactor blends was obtained.

Organochromium complexes as catalysts for the carboalumination of unactivated terminal olefins.

The addition of aluminium alkyls to terminal olefins leads to branched organoaluminium compounds which can be converted into functionalised alkanes. This carboalumination reaction is efficiently catalysed by a donor functionalised Cp-chromium(III) complex. The active catalyst is obtained by activation of the chromium(III) dichloride precursor with MAO or with a mixture of trialkylaluminium and N,N-dimethylanilinium tetrakispentaflourphenylborate. Primary aminoalkenes deactivate the catalyst whereas secondary and tertiary aminoalkenes can also be carboaluminated.