Polymerization of Ethylene Catalyzed by Phosphine-Iminophosphorane Palladium Complexes

Phosphine-iminophosphorane palladium complexes were synthesized and studied as catalysts for ethylene polymerization. The effect of the substituents on the phosphine and iminophosphorane moieties was investigated. Catalyst 15 promoted the conversion of ethylene to moderate molecular weight linear polyethylene (Mn ≈ 14000 g/mol, branches/1000C ≈ 7). This catalyst proved to be stable at temperatures up to 100 °C with a turnover frequency of 2100 h–1.