Termination ethylene polymerization

The first example of homogeneous transition metal catalysis in an ionic liquid was the platinum-catalyzed hydroformylation of ethene in tetraethylammonium trichlorostannate (mp. 78 °C), described by Parshall in 1972 (Scheme 5.2-1, a)) [1]. In 1987, Knifton reported the ruthenium- and cobalt-catalyzed hydroformylation of internal and terminal alkenes in molten [Bu4P]Br, a salt that falls under the now accepted definition for an ionic liquid (see Scheme 5.2-1, b)) [2]. The first applications of room-temperature ionic liquids in homogeneous transition metal catalysis were described in 1990 by Chauvin et al. and by Wilkes et ak. Wilkes et al. used weekly acidic chloroaluminate melts and studied ethylene polymerization in them with Ziegler-Natta catalysts (Scheme 5.2-1, c)) [3]. Chauvin s group dissolved nickel catalysts in weakly acidic chloroaluminate melts and investigated the resulting ionic catalyst solutions for the dimerization of propene (Scheme 5.2-1, d)) [4]. 

Addition polymerization is employed primarily with substituted or unsuhstituted olefins and conjugated diolefins. Addition polymerization initiators are free radicals, anions, cations, and coordination compounds. In addition polymerization, a chain grows simply hy adding monomer molecules to a propagating chain. The first step is to add a free radical, a cationic or an anionic initiator (I ) to the monomer. For example, in ethylene polymerization (with a special catalyst), the chain grows hy attaching the ethylene units one after another until the polymer terminates. This type of addition produces a linear polymer ... 

Termination reactions also occur and one of these has been identified in the case of ethylene polymerization from a study of end-groups present in the polymer. In the case of Zr(allyl)4, in the absence of hydrogen, the polythene produced contains one terminal double bond per chain (Table III). This is almost certainly formed by a process which has been termed /3-hydrogen abstraction (9) ... 

It has been shown recently (10) that such block structures could be tailored precisely by the general method summarized hereabove. It is indeed possible to convert the hydroxyl end-group of a vinyl polymer PA (f.i. polystyrene, or polybutadiene obtained by anionic polymerization terminated with ethylene oxide),into an aluminum alcoholate structure since it is well known that CL polymerizes in a perfectly "living" manner by ring-opening insertion into the Al-0 bond (11), the following reaction sequence provides a direct access to the desired copolymers, with an accurate control of the molecular parameters of the two blocks ... 

Ethylene Polymers. Depending on the polymerization conditions, three major types of polyethylene are manufactured low-density polyethylene (LDPE) by free-radical polymerization, linear low-density polyethylene (LLDPE) by copolymerization of ethylene with terminal olefins, and high-density polyethylene (HDPE) by coordination polymerization. The processes yield polymers with different characteristics (molecular weight, molecular weight distribution, melt index, strength, crystallinity, density, processability). 

Reed 332) has reported that reaction of ethylene oxide with the a,(a-dilithiumpoly-butadiene in predominantly hydrocarbon media (some residual ether from the dilithium initiator preparation was present) produced telechelic polybutadienes with hydroxyl functionalities (determined by infrared spectroscopy) of 2.0 + 0.1 in most cases. A recent report by Morton, et al.146) confirms the efficiency of the ethylene oxide termination reaction for a,ta-dilithiumpolyisoprene functionalities of 1.99, 1.92 and 2.0j were reported (determined by titration using Method B of ASTM method E222-66). It should be noted, however, that term of a, co-dilithium-polymers with ethylene oxide resulted in gel formation which required 1-4 days for completion. In general, epoxides are not polymerized by lithium bases 333,334), presumably because of the unreactivity of the strongly associated lithium alkoxides641 which are formed. With counter ions such as sodium or potassium, reaction of the polymeric anions with ethylene oxide will effect polymerization to form block copolymers (Eq. (80) 334 336>). 

The incorporation of TEMPO alkoxy amine at the end of a PE chain has been achieved [99]. The dialkylmagnesium compound in ethylene polymerization was adopted as a chain transfer agent, as mentioned above. It was also reported that PE-TEMPO and terminally N-(2-mcthyl-2-propyl)-N-(l-diethylphosphono-2,2-dimethylpropyl)-N-oxyl PE were synthesized by the reaction with di-polyethylene magnesium produced in ethylene polymerization. They were used for CRP of n-butyl acrylate, leading to PE-h-PnBA. 

Fig. 3 A possible mechanism for the chain termination reaction in ethylene polymerization...

DFT/MM calculations on ethylene polymerization by nickel diimine complexes have been applied within Car-Parrinello molecular dynamics simulations [40, 41]. A first set of calculations was used to refine the computed energy barrier for the termination step. The enthalpy barrier computed in the calculations described above was 18.6 kcal/mol, a value which decreased to 14.8 kcal/mol at 25 °C in the molecular dynamics calculation, in better agreement with experiment [40]. A second study analyzed the capture of the olefin by the catalyst [41], and found that this process, which has no en-thalpic barrier, has an entropic barrier. 

Experimental research has continued to produce new and more efficient catalysts for ethylene polymerization in recent years, and computational work rapidly followed to explain their features. In particular, several articles on a variety of catalysts have focused on the comparison between the barriers for the propagation, termination, and isomerization processes described above. 

Recently, a number of a-olefins have been offered commercially. These olefins, made by ethylene polymerization or by wax cracking, are available either as relatively pure compounds or as mixtures of several adjacent members in chain lengths of about six to 20 carbon atoms. These products are largely straight-chain terminal olefins. 

Group 4 elements (e.g., Ti, Zr) are used as typical catalyst precursors for olefin polymerization and serve as potent cationic components for polymer chain growth with the aid of aluminum (e.g., MAO) or boron co-catalysts. It would be more efficient and convenient if organoaluminum cations were used to polymerize olefins. From this viewpoint, following an earlier precedent with two-coordinate cations (Equation (98)),319,320 some three-coordinate organoaluminum cations hold promise, and their ability to promote polymerization of ethylene or terminal olefins is now... 

We have already seen in Section 2.2.2 that metal-alkyl compounds are prone to undergo /3-hydride elimination or, in short, /3-elimination reactions (see Fig. 2.5). In fact, hydride abstraction can occur from carbon atoms in other positions also, but elimination from the /8-carbon is more common. As seen earlier, insertion of an alkene into a metal-hydrogen bond and a /8-elimination reaction have a reversible relationship. This is obvious in Reaction 2.8. For certain metal complexes it has been possible to study this reversible equilibrium by NMR spectroscopy. A hydrido-ethylene complex of rhodium, as shown in Fig. 2.8, is an example. In metal-catalyzed alkene polymerization, termination of the polymer chain growth often follows the /8-hydride elimination pathway. This also is schematically shown in Fig. 2.8. 

In fact, MWD obtained at different deuterium-ethylene ratios are not influenced by the amount of the chain terminating agent Similar results have been found by Berger and Grieveson in ethylene polymerization, using different hydrogen concentrations. 

MWD is usually broadened with a decrease of polymerization temperature. In the ethylene polymerization with the (C5H5)2TiClj—Al(CH3)2Cl soluble catalytic system, Chien attributed such behaviour to a greater decrease in termination rate in comparison to propagation rate as temperatures decreases. 

In the polymerization of ethylene by (Tr-CjHsljTiClj/AlMejCl [111] and of butadiene by Co(acac)3/AlEt2Cl/H2 0 [87] there is evidence for bimolecular termination. The conclusions on ethylene polymerization have been questioned, however, and it has been proposed that intramolecular decomposition of the catalyst complex occurs via ionic intermediates [91], Smith and Zelmer [275] have examined several catalyst systems for ethylene polymerization and with the assumption that the rate at any time is proportional to the active site concentration ([C ]), second order catalyst decay was deduced, since 1 — [Cf] /[Cf] was linear with time. This evidence, of course, does not distinguish between chemical deactivation and physical occlusion of sites. In conjugated diene polymerization by Group VIII metal catalysts -the unsaturated polymer chain stabilizes the active centre and the copolymerization of a monoolefin which converts the growing chain from a tt to a a bonded structure is followed by a catalyst decomposition, with a reduction in rate and polymer molecular weight [88]. 

Olive and Olive [291] have studied transfer reactions in ethylene polymerization by (EtO)3TiCl/EtAlCl2. Polymerization reaches a maximum value at Al/Ti = 7 and is first order in monomer. As polymer molecular weight is independent of catalyst and monomer concentrations it is concluded that transfer involves monomer and that spontaneous termination is absent. 

Recently, diphenylphosphine has been shown to be an efficient chain-transfer agent in organolanthanide-catalyzed ethylene polymerization, yielding phosphine-terminated polyethylenes. This reaction is a versatile, efficient way of incorporating an electron-rich functional group into an otherwise inert polymer.929... 

Dong, J.Y. Chung, T.C. Synthesis of polyethylene containing a terminal p-MS group metallocene-mediated ethylene polymerization with a consecutive chain transfer reaction to P-MS and hydrogen. Macromolecules 2002, 35, 1622. 

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