Half-metallocene zirconium complex bearing tridentate [N,N,O] ligand and its use in homo- and copolymerization of ethylene

Abstract

The novel half-metallocene zirconium (IV) bearing quinoline-amino-phenolate tridentate ligand (Zr1) was synthesized and characterized by elemental analysis, NMR spectroscopy, and X-ray crystallography. The complex Zr1, upon activation with MAO, proved active in the polymerization of ethylene (26-2015 kg of PE/mol[Zr]·h− 1), yielding high-density polyethylenes with molecular weight varying from 129 to 364 × 103 g·mol− 1. Complex Zr1 was also tested in the copolymerization of ethylene with 1-hexene affording high molecular weight poly(ethylene-co-1-hexene) with low comonomer incorporation (1.0–1.9%).