Metallocene systems, spectroscopic studies

Most of the spectroscopic investigations discussed above were carried out on well-defined metallocene systems, either isolated species or those generated from a well-defined metallocene alkyl precursor activated with one equivalent of a borane or borate activator. Most practical polymerisation catalysts, on the other hand, include a scavenger, usually an aluminum alkyl, and may contain ill-defined activators such as methylaluminoxane (MAO), usually at high MAO/Zr ratios. Such systems are less amenable to quantitative studies nevertheless, the identifications of species such as those depicted in Schemes 8.5-8.8 has enabled similar compounds to be identified in more complex mixtures. An idea of the possible mode of action... 

The cocatalyst has various functions. The primary role of MAO as a cocatalyst for olefin polymerization with metallocenes is alkylation of the transition metal and the production of cation-like alkyl complexes of the type Cp2MR+ as catalytically active species (91). Indirect evidence that MAO generates metallocene cations has been furnished by the described perfluorophenyl-borates and by model systems (92, 93). Only a few direct spectroscopic studies of the reactions in the system CP2MCI2/MAO have been reported (94). The direct elucidation of the structure and of the function of MAO is hindered by the presence of multiple equilibria such as disproportionation reactions between oligomeric MAO chains. Moreover, some unreacted trimethylaluminum always remains bound to the MAO and markedly influences the catalyst performance (77, 95, 96). The reactions between MAO and zirconocenes are summarized in Fig. 8. 

It is now well recognised that the active species is a cationic complex, or more precisely a solvent-separated or tight ion pair, the structure of which depends on the mode of catalyst activation. Early spectroscopic and synthetic studies on metallocene dimethyl precursors helped to outline the principal reaction pathways, these have been reviewed [16, 21, 23]. Some of this chemistry is briefly summarised here since it presents the background for the understanding of later studies on methyl-aluminoxane (MAO) systems. 

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