Design and synthesis of binuclear vanadium catalysts for copolymerization of ethylene and polar monomers

Abstract

Several binuclear vanadium complexes were synthesized and investigated as catalysts for ethylene (co)polymerization. Under the activation of Et₂AlCl, the binuclear vanadium complexes exhibited higher activities than the mononuclear analogues in ethylene polymerization. Also, the binuclear complexes showed moderate activity in the copolymerization with polar vinyl monomers such as 6-chlorohex-1-ene, 10-undecen-1-ol and methyl 10-undecenoate. In the copolymerization with methyl acrylate, the binuclear catalysts exhibited good tolerance to the polar group with activity up to 529 kg mol_V⁻¹ h⁻¹. But only a pure polyethylene product was obtained according to the ¹H NMR spectrum.