Alkenes Ziegler-Natta reaction

The mechanistic similarity between Ziegler-Natta polymerization of olefins and the alkene cyclization reactions described above suggested that early transition metal catalysts would be effective catalysts for the coupling of... 

The term carbometallation was most probably coined only about a quarter of a century ago.1 However, the history of those reactions that can be classified as carbometallation reactions is much older. If one includes not only the Ziegler-Natta-type organometallic alkene polymerization reactions2 but also various types of organometallic conjugate addition reactions,3 carbometallation collectively is easily more than a century old. In its broadest definition, carbometallation may be defined as a process of addition of a carbon-metal bond to a carbon-carbon multiple bond. As such, it may represent either a starting material-product relationship irrespective of mechanistic details or an actual mechanistic microstep of carbon-metal bond addition to a carbon-carbon metal multiple bond irrespective of the structure of the product eventually formed. 

Aside from the Ziegler-Natta polymerization, alkene and alkyne metathesis, and other reactions of Ti-methylene complexes, carbometallation reactions induced by alkyltitanium compounds have been dominated by those involving... 

Traditional Ziegler-Natta and metallocene initiators polymerize a variety of monomers, including ethylene and a-olefins such as propene, 1-butene, 4-methyl-1-pentene, vinylcyclo-hexane, and styrene. 1,1-Disubstituted alkenes such as isobutylene are polymerized by some metallocene initiators, but the reaction proceeds by a cationic polymerization [Baird, 2000]. Polymerizations of styrene, 1,2-disubstituted alkenes, and alkynes are discussed in this section polymerization of 1,3-dienes is discussed in Sec. 8-10. The polymerization of polar monomers is discussed in Sec. 8-12. 

When ethylene reacts with triethyl- or tripropylaluminum, multiple carbometa-lation takes place, resulting in the formation of oligomers.509 Oxidation of the products followed by hydrolysis yields alcohols, whereas displacement reaction produces terminal alkenes that are of commercial importance.510 Transition-metal compounds promote the addition to form polymers (Ziegler-Natta polymerization see Section 13.2.4). 

Alkene metathesis, a remarkable reaction catalyzed by transition metal catalysts, can be traced back to Ziegler-Natta chemistry as its origin [11], In 1964, Natta et al. reported a new type polymerization of cyclopentene using Mo- or W-based catalyst, without knowing the mechanism. This was the first example of ring-opening metathesis polymerization (ROMP eq. 1.9) [12],... 

The type of solvent or diluent should be specified in reporting a Ziegler-Natta catalyst system. Alkene polymerisations are usually carried out in inert solvents, such as aliphatic or aromatic hydrocarbons (e.g. some gasoline fractions or toluene). The use of protic or aprotic polar solvents or diluents instead of the hydrocarbon polymerisation medium can drastically alter the reaction mechanism. This usually results in catalyst deactivation for alkene coordination polymerisation. Modern alkene polymerisation processes are carried out in a gas phase, using fluidised-bed catalysts, and in a liquid monomer as in the case of propylene polymerisation [28,37]. 

Applications of HT-type catalysts, prepared by the above methods, have been reported in recent years for basic catalysis (polymerization of alkene oxides, aldol condensation), steam reforming of methane or naphtha, CO hydrogenation as in methanol and higher-alcohol synthesis, conversion of syngas to alkanes and alkenes, hydrogenation of nitrobenzene, oxidation reactions, and as a support for Ziegler-Natta catalysts (Table 2). 

Theoretically, it is possible for the process of olefin coordination and insertion to continue as in Ziegler-Natta polymerization (Chapter 52) but with palladium the metal is expelled from the molecule by a p-hydride elimination reaction and the product is an alkene. For the whole process to be catalytic, a palladium(O) complex must be regenerated from the palladium(ll) product of P-hydride elimination. This occurs in the presence of base which removes HX from the palladium(II) species. 

Ziegler-Natta-type catalysts, which are active in polymerization and oligomerization of alkenes. are also influenced by adding CO2 to the reaction mixture. The addition of CO2 changes the molecular we t and crystallinity of the products or the activity and selectivity of the catalyst, both in polyethylene [307,308] and in polypropylene production [309-312]. 

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