Bridged fluorenyl/cyclopentadienyl metallocenes

Stereoblock polypropylene is synthesized by unbridged metallocenes such as bis(neomenthyl)zirconium dichloride (7) with cyclopentadienyl or phenyl substituted indenyl ligands [55, 56]. The stereoblock length increases at lower polymerization temperatures. Products containing isotactic and atactic blocks are elastomeric if the isotactic block length is short. Rieger [57] obtained similar polypropylenes by bridged fluorenyl-substituted indenyl zirconium complexes. 

In most cases the catalyst precursor is a metallocene dichloride complex consisting of two aromatic five-membered ring systems that can be tethered by a bridging unit ansa metallocene complexes) or not. The two aromatic ligands at the metal can be of the same type. i.e.. cyclopentadienyl. indenyl. or fluorenyl. The introduction of substituents at certain positions of the two aromatic ligands and/or the bridge modifies not only the steric and electronic conditions in the molecule but also the symmetry of such a metallocene dichloride complex. Another variable parameter is the metal M = Ti. Zr. Hf. 

U. Syndiotactic- and isotactic specific bridged cyclopentadienyl-fluorenyl based metallocenes structural features, catalytic behavior. Macmmol. Chem. Phys. 2004, 205, 347-356. (b) Razavi, A. Bellia,... 

Extensive efforts have also been made to develop olefin polymerisation catalysts based on metallocenes with only one ligand of the cyclopentadienyl type. Ethylene-,dimethylsilylene- or tetramethyldisilylene-bridged mono(l-tetra -methylcyclopentadienyl), mono(l-indenyl) or mono(9-fluorenyl)-amidotita-nium complexes, such as dimethylsilylene(l-tetramethylcyclopentadienyl)(t-butyl)amidotitanium dichloride [Me2Si(Me4Cp)N(/-Bu)TiCl2] (Figure 3.10), have recently attracted both industrial and scientific interest as precursors for methylaluminoxane-activated catalysts, which polymerise ethylene and copolymerise ethylene with 1-butene, 1-hexene and 1-octene [30,105,148-152]. 

Catalysts that yield highly syndiotactic polypropylene (86% racemic pentads) were also developed. One of them is /-propylene(ri -cyclopentadienyl-r fluorenyl)zirconium dichloride [291]. Initial disclosures of metallocene catalysts were followed by numerous publications in the literature that described similar materials for the polymerizations of either ethylene or propylene, or both, and for formation of various copolymers. Thus, for instance, Kaminsky et al. [292], reported preparaticm of a zirconium dichloride-type catalyst for copolymerization of cyclic olefins with ethylene. These cyclic olefins are cyclopentene, norbomene, and the hindered cyclopentadiene adducts of norbomene [292]. The catalytic system consists of a bridged indene derivative that is combined with methylaluminoxane ... 

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