Copolymerization of ethene with styrene using different methylalumoxane activated half‐sandwich complexes

Ethene was copolymerized with styrene using five different methylalumoxane (MAO) activated half-sandwich complexes of the general formula Me 2 Si(Cp)(N-R)MCl 2 , varying the substituents on the cyclopentadienyl ring and the substituent on the amide (Cp = tetramethylcyclopentadiene CBT, 1-indenyl IBT, 3-trimethylsilyl-1-indenyl SIBT, or fluorenyl FBZ, R = tert-butyl (complexes CBT,IBT, SIBT, FBZ ) or benzyl CAT), as well as the metal center ( M = Ti, except FBZ: M = Zr). Polymerization behavior was analyzed with respect to catalyst activity and polymerization kinetics, styrene incorporation, copolymer microstructure, and molecular weight. All complexes produced random poly(ethene-co-styrene) without any regioregular or stereoregular microstructure. Complex CBT showed the highest catalytic activity, the fluorenyl-substituted complex FBZ produced the highest molecular weight polymer, and complexes SIBT and CAT promoted high styrene incorporation. Cp-substitution pattern influenced deactivation of the catalytic system with bulky substituents of the Cp-ring slowing down deactivation at the expense of styrene incorporation. Moreover, deactivation was accelerated with increasing styrene concentration.