The first example of polymerization of isobutylene induced by a metallocene-like initiator, [(η5-C5Me5)TiMe2[(µ-Me)B(C6F5)3]

Abstract

Addition of equimolar amounts of (η⁵-C₅Me₅)TiMe₃ and B(C₆F₅)₃ to solutions of isobutylene or isobutylene and isoprene (99 : 1 molar ratio) in toluene at –78 °C results in polymerization to give, respectively, isobutylene homopolymer with a high weight average molecular mass of ∼ 5 × 10⁵ and a narrow polydispersity (2.1), or an isobutylene-isoprene copolymer exhibiting a composition, a molecular mass distribution and ¹H and ¹³C NMR spectra identical to those of a sample of commercial butyl rubber.