Recent progress in immobilization of late-transition-metal complexes with diimine ligands for olefin polymerization

Late-transition-metal (LTM) catalysts are a family of very flexible ethylene polymerization catalysts because their catalytic performance can be easily adjusted by modifying the ligand structure. Their less oxyphilicity character, which may promote the production of copolymers from ethylene and polar comonomers, is another aspect that attracts much attention in both academic and industrial fields. The immobilization of LTM catalysts on spherical supports is a crucial step prior to their use in the industrial processes of gas-phase or slurry polymerizations. This paper reviews recent developments in supported LTM catalysts for olefin polymerization, and summarizes loading methods and mechanisms of the immobilization of LTM catalysts on inorganic, organic, and inorganic-organic materials, and the effects of immobilization on catalytic activity, polymerization mechanism, and polymer morphology.