Ligand steric and fluoroalkyl substituent effects on enchainment cooperativity and stability in bimetallic nickel(II) polymerization catalysts.
The synthesis and characterization of two neutrally charged bimetallic Ni(II)  ethylene polymerization catalysts, {2,7-di-[2,6-(3,5-di-methylphenylimino)methyl]1,8-naphthalenediolato}-bis-Ni(II) (methyl)(trimethylphosphine) [(CH(3) )FI(2) -Ni(2) ] and {2,7-di-[2,6-(3,5-di-trifluoromethyl-phenylimino)methyl]-1,8-naphthalenediolato}-bis-Ni(II) (methyl)(trimethyl-phosphine) [(CF(3) )FI(2) -Ni(2) )], are reported. The diffraction-derived molecular structure of (CF(3) )FI(2) -Ni(2)  reveals a Ni⋅⋅⋅Ni distance of 5.8024(5) Å. In the presence of ethylene and Ni(COD)(2)  or B(C(6) F(5) )(3)  co-catalysts, these complexes along with their monometallic analogues [2-tert-butyl-6-((2,6-(3,5-dimethylphenyl)phenylimino)methyl)-phenolate]-Ni(II) -methyl(trimethylphosphine) [(CH(3) )FI-Ni] and [2-tert-butyl-6-((2,6-(3,5-ditrifluoromethyl-phenyl)phenylimino)methyl)phenolato]-Ni(II) -methyl-(trimethylphosphine) [(CF(3) )FI-Ni], produce polyethylenes ranging from highly branched M(w) =1400 oligomers (91 methyl branches per 1000 C) to low branch density M(w) =92 000 polyethylenes (7 methyl branches per 1000 C). In the bimetallic catalysts, Ni⋅⋅⋅Ni cooperative effects are evidenced by increased product polyethylene branching in ethylene homopolymerizations (∼3× for (CF(3) )FI(2) -Ni(2)  vs. monometallic (CF(3) )FI-Ni), as well as by enhanced norbornene co-monomer incorporation selectivity, with bimetallic (CH(3) )FI(2) -Ni(2)  and (CF(3) )FI(2) -Ni(2)  enchaining approximately three- and six-times more norbornene, respectively, than monometallic (CH(3) )FI-Ni and (CF(3) )FI-Ni. Additionally, (CH(3) )FI(2) -Ni(2)  and (CF(3) )FI(2) -Ni(2)  exhibit significantly enhanced thermal stability versus the less sterically encumbered dinickel catalyst {2,7-di-[(2,6-diisopropylphenyl)imino]-1,8-naphthalenediolato}-bis-Ni(II) (methyl)(trimethylphosphine). The pathway for bimetallic catalyst thermal deactivation is shown to involve an unexpected polymerization-active intermediate, {2,7-di-[2,6-(3,5-di-trifluoromethyl-phenylimino)methyl]-1-hydroxy,8-naphthalenediolato-Ni(II) (methyl)-(trimethylphosphine).
Department of Chemistry, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60208-3113, USA.
Michael P
MP
Weberski
Changle
C
Chen
Massimiliano
M
Delferro
Tobin J
TJ
Marks