Activity of Ziegler-Natta Catalysts

Syndiotactic polymers of higher a-olefins such as 1-butene and 4-methyl-1-pentene are produced by homogeneous metallocene-based catalysts [117, 429, 430], In contrast to polymerisation with metallocene-based catalysts, higher a-olefins are much less reactive in polymerisation with soluble vanadium-based catalysts, and already in the case of 1-butene polymerisation only yield trace amounts of low molecular weight syndiotactic polymer [394]. 

---

In further studies it appeared that the activity of Ziegler-Natta catalysts depends not only on the chemical stmcture of the complex molecule but also on its crystal structure, and therefore on the way of its preparation. 

---