Polymer Synthesis and Stereochemistry with Transition Metal Catalysts

The discovery of transition metal catalysts for olefin polymerization by Ziegler1 and Natta2 in 1955 formed the foundation of today’s polyolefin industry, which in 1992 produced over 60 million tons of polymers.3 Intense research during this new era of polymer synthesis has resulted in a wide range of highly active and selective catalysts for olefin polymerization.4,5 After about 40 years, commercial Ziegler-Natta catalysts have reached levels of activity and stereospecificity that are unrivaled by any other catalyst system.