Cocatalysts boron alkyls

It is not always easy to deduce the mechanism of a polymerization. In general, no reliable conclusions can be drawn solely from the type of initiator used. Ziegler catalysts, for example, consist of a compound of a transition metal (e.g., TiCU) and a compound of an element from the first through third groups (e.g., AIR3) (for a more detailed discussion, see Chapter 19). They usually induce polyinsertions. The phenyl titanium triisopropoxide/aluminum triisopropoxide system, however, initiates a free radical polymerization of styrene. BF3, together with cocatalysts (see Chapter 18), generally initiates cationic polymerizations, but not in diazomethane, in which the polymerization is started free radically via boron alkyls. The mode of action of the initiators thus depends on the medium as well as on the monomer. Iodine in the form of iodine iodide, I I induces the cationic polymerization of vinyl ether, but in the form of certain complexes DI I (with D = benzene, dioxane, certain monomers), it leads to an anionic polymerization of 1-oxa-4,5-dithiacycloheptane. 

Friedel-Crafts (Lewis) acids have been shown to be much more effective in the initiation of cationic polymerization when in the presence of a cocatalyst such as water, alkyl haUdes, and protic acids. Virtually all feedstocks used in the synthesis of hydrocarbon resins contain at least traces of water, which serves as a cocatalyst. The accepted mechanism for the activation of boron trifluoride in the presence of water is shown in equation 1 (10). Other Lewis acids are activated by similar mechanisms. In a more general sense, water may be replaced by any appropriate electron-donating species (eg, ether, alcohol, alkyl haUde) to generate a cationic intermediate and a Lewis acid complex counterion. 

The induction period can also be shortened or even eliminated by the addition of reducing agents either to the catalyst or to the reactor. Particularly effective are the alkyls or hydrides of aluminum, boron, zinc, lithium, magnesium, etc. When added in ppm quantities, they can eliminate the induction time of Cr(VI)/silica and also raise the steady-state polymerization rate. Some metal alkyls can remove poisons and redox byproducts. All metal alkyls no doubt help reduce the Cr(VI), perhaps to Cr(IV). And some may even help alkylate the chromium, similar to the chemistry of Ziegler catalysts. Figure 16 shows how triethylaluminum cocatalyst can be used to shorten the induction time [52],... 

Immobilization of metallocenes on the carrier materials can be accomplished by various methods, including (1) direct impregnation of the activated metal complex/aluminoxane mixture (2) premodification of the support with MAO or aluminum alkyls followed by reaction with the metallocene (3) anchoring of the metallocene to the support through covalent bonds followed by activation with the cocatalyst. Similar approaches can be applied to the boron-activated catalyst systems (489,490). 

In addition to MAO, boron compounds based on tris(pentafluorophenyl)boron and its derivatives, typically dimethylanilinium tetrakis(pentafluorophenyl) borate, have been used as cocatalysts for sPS polymerizations (40,41). Although MAO has been used in large molar excesses relative to the titanium complex, the boron compounds may be used in roughly equimolar amounts to the titanium catalyst. The boron cocatalyst reacts with a titanium alkyl species, either by protonation in the case of dimethylanilinium tetrakis(pentafluorophenyl)borate or by alkyl group abstraction in the case of tris(pentafluorophenyl)boron, to generate a titanium cationic species with a borate counterion (74-76). The esr spectral evidence has been reported for these systems, supporting a titanium(III) cationic active species (76). 

With discoveries of boron-based cocatalysts such as triphenyl-boron, ammonium tetraphenylborate salts, and finally pentafiuorophenyl derivatives of borate [B(C6H5)4] , olefin polymerization catalysis was developed without a reliance on alkylaluminum species. Although the activity with nonfiuori-nated boron-based cocatalysts was invariably low, the fiuorinated analogs exhibited olefin polymerization behavior similar to that of metallocene/MAO catalyst systems. The boron and borate compoimds are typically used in a 1 1 molar ratio with transition metal (stoichiometric or near stoichiometric). Because these activators do not alkylate the transition metal, the metallocene precatalyst employed must already bear alkyl groups. Thus, zirconocene dimethyl species combine with boron or borate activators to nerate active cationic polymerization catalysts. Figure 8 shows typical activation reactions with borate (a, b) and boron (c) activators. 

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