Synthesis of ultrahigh molecular weight polymers by homopolymerisation of higher α-olefins catalysed by aryloxo-modified half-titanocenes

Abstract

Polymerisation of 1-decene, 1-dodecene, 1-hexadecene, and 1-octadecene by Cp*TiCl₂(O-2,6-ⁱPr₂C₆H₃) (1) – MAO catalysts yielded high molecular weight polymers with unimodal molecular weight distributions, and the M_n values in the resultant polymers were higher than those prepared by linked half-titanocene, [Me₂Si(C₅Me₄) (N^tBu)]TiCl₂ and ordinary zirconocenes (Cp₂ZrCl₂ etc.); Cp*TiMe₂(O-2,6-ⁱPr₂C₆H₃) – [Ph₃C][B(C₆F₅)₄] catalyst showed higher catalytic activities, affording ultrahigh molecular weight polymers (M_n = >1.07 × 10⁶).