Metallocenes as catalysts

The symmetry of the metallocene and also the kind of procatalyst metal atom, the nature of the catalyst activator and the polymerisation temperature determine the polypropylene tacticity. The general stereoregulation behaviour of metallocene catalysts may be explained in terms of the local chirality, or chirotopicity, of the catalytic sites bonded to the same metal atom. For this analysis, the structure of metallocenes as catalysts should be considered. 

Table I summarizes the application of various low-valent titanium metallocenes as catalysts for olefin hydrogenation. Compounds 10 and 37 are very effective hydrogenation catalysts for C2H4 and cyclohexene. Since different researchers have used widely varying conditions, we can only estimate that the polystyrene-supported (7j-C8H8)2Ti (142) is comparable in activity to compounds 10 and 37. When one recalls that 37 was prepared by a formal oxidation of the Ti centers in 10, it is remarkable that 37 is as good a catalyst as 10. Solutions prepared by reaction of l-methyl-17-allylbiscyclopentadienyltitanium (54) with H2 do appear to be more active hydrogenation (126) catalysts than 10 and 37. The dicarbonyl complex, (17-CsH5)2Ti(CO)2 (39), has been shown to be a catalyst for the hydrogenation of acetylene at —50 atm of H2 (143). It does not catalyze the hydrogenation of simple olefins. However, Floriani and Fachinetti discovered that if...

Commissioning of first plants with metallocenes as catalysts for PP production (1995) BP(1992) introduction of iridium in acetic acid... 

Galimberti, M. Piemontesi, F. Fusco, O. Metallocenes as Catalysts for the Copolymerization of Ethene with Propene and Dienes. In Metallocene-based Polyolefins Preparation, Properties and Technology, Scheirs, J., Kaminsky, W., Eds. Wiley Chichester, 2000 Vol. 1, p. 309. 

In this section we survey the use of metallocenes as catalyst precursors for polymerizations in which the predominant monomer is not ethylene or any a-olefin. The subject of metallocenes as initiators for the cationic polymerization of vinyl monomers is dealt with elsewhere. Except for styrene, true random copolymers of the monomers in this section with alkenes are not produced because the mechanisms for polymerization of the non-olefins differ greatly from that operating in Sinn-Kaminsky catalysis. 

In our laboratory a series of experiments have been carried out to study the metallocene structure / polypropylene microstructure correlations by variation of metallocene structure. The use of stereorigid metallocenes as catalyst can help to understand the reasons for stereospecific polymerization of propene in more detail. ... 

The preparation and structure determination of ferrocene marked the beginning of metallocene chemistry Metallocenes are organometallic compounds that bear cyclo pentadiemde ligands A large number are known even some m which uranium is the metal Metallocenes are not only stucturally interesting but many of them have useful applications as catalysts for industrial processes Zirconium based metallocenes for example are the most widely used catalysts for Ziegler-Natta polymerization of alkenes We 11 have more to say about them m Section 14 15... 

Hydride complexes of Group IV metallocenes have been implicated as catalysts and as important intermediates in olefin hydrogenahon and polymerization reactions [232, 233]. 

Although group 4 metallocenes display high activities as catalysts for the polymerization of a-olefins, methacrylates and styrenes, to date very few reports have appeared examining their use as lactone ROP initiators. Zr(OR)4 and Ti(OR)4 (R = Pr, Bu) have been briefly investigated for the polymerization of CL and LA,744 913 but high temperatures (100-150 °C) are required. Less control is afforded by Zr(acac)2914,915 or ZrCl4.916... 

The active species of the metallocene/MAO catalyst system have now been established as being three-coordinated cationic alkyl complexes [Cp2MR] + (14-electron species). A number of cationic alkyl metallocene complexes have been synthesized with various anionic components. Some structurally characterized complexes are presented in Table 4 [75,76], These cationic Group 4 complexes are coordinatively unsaturated and often stabilized by weak interactions, such as agostic interactions, as well as by cation-anion interactions. Under polymerization conditions such weak interactions smoothly provide the metal sites for monomers. 

Neutral Group 3 Metallocene Complexes as Catalysts of Polymerization... 

Non-metallocene complexes, such as aryloxide 31 and amide 138, have also been utilized as catalyst systems for the polymerization of a-olefins. Moreover, the homogeneous olefin polymerization catalysts have been extended to metals other than those in Group 4, as described in Sect. 7. Complexes such as mono(cyclopentadienyl)mono(diene) are in isoelectronic relationship with Group 4 metallocenes and they have been found to initiate the living polymerization of ethylene. These studies will being further progress to the chemistry of homogeneous polymerization catalysts. 

Among early and group III transition metals, the yttrocene catalysts have been studied in greatest detail. However, related metallocenes show great promise as catalysts for reductive cyclization. Neodymocene-catalyzed cyclization of 1,5- and 1,6-dienes 14a and 15a proceeds readily in the presence of silane to afford cyclopentanes 14b and 15b.37 Lutetocenes and samarocenes also catalyze silane-mediated cyclization of 1,5-diene 14a to cyclopentane 14b.38 39 In the case of the samarium-based metallocenes, the feasibility of borane-mediated cyclization has been established, as demonstrated by the highly diastereoselective conversion of phenyl-substituted diene 16a to cyclopentane 16b (Scheme ll).40... 

Nonbonded energy interactions are able to rationalize not only the stereospecificities observed for different metallocene-based catalytic systems (isospecific, syndiospecific, hemi-isospecific, and with oscillating stereocontrol) but also the origin of particular stereodefects and their dependence on monomer concentration as well as stereostructures associated with regioirregular insertions. Nonbonded energy analysis also allowed to rationalize the dependence of regiospecificity on the type of stereospecificity of metallocene-based catalysts. 

Chiral C2-symmetric ansa-metallocenes, also referred to as bridged metallocenes, find extensive use as catalysts that effect asymmetric C—C bond-forming transformations [4]. In general, bridged ethylene(bis(tetrahydroindenyl))zirconocene dichloride ((ebthi)ZrCl2) 1 or its derived binaphtholate ((ebthi)Zrbinol) 2 [5] and related derivatives thereof have been extensively utilized in the development of a variety of catalytic asymmetric alkene alkylations. 

Collins and co-workers have also reported on an enantioselective catalytic Diels—Alder cycloaddition, in which zirconocene and titanocene bis(triflate) complexes were used as catalysts [104], The influence of the solvent polarity on the observed levels of stereoselectivity is noteworthy. For example, as shown in Scheme 6.34, with 108 as the catalyst, whereas in CH2C12 (1 mol% catalyst) the endo product was formed with 30% ee (30 1 endoxxo, 88% yield), in CH3N02 solution (5 mol% catalyst) the enantioselectivity was increased to 89% (7 1 endoxxo, 85% yield). Extensive 1H and 19F NMR studies further indicated that a mixture of metallocene—dienophile complexes was present in both solutions (-6 1 in CH2C12 and -2 1 in CH3N02, as shown in Scheme 6.34), and that most probably it was the minor complex isomer that was more reactive and led to the observed major enantiomer. For example, whereas nOe experiments led to ca. 5 % enhancement of the CpH proton signals of the same ring when Hb in the minor complex was irradiated, no enhancements were observed upon irradiation of Ha in the major complex. 

The studies summarized above clearly bear testimony to the significance of Zr-based chiral catalysts in the important field of catalytic asymmetric synthesis. Chiral zircono-cenes promote unique reactions such as enantioselective alkene alkylations, processes that are not effectively catalyzed by any other chiral catalyst class. More recently, since about 1996, an impressive body of work has appeared that involves non-metallocene Zr catalysts. These chiral complexes are readily prepared (often in situ), easily modified, and effect a wide range of enantioselective C—C bond-forming reactions in an efficient manner (e. g. imine alkylations, Mannich reactions, aldol additions). 

Group 4 metallocenes are important as catalysts in the stereospecific polymerization of alkenes. Consequently, alkenes have been the most extensively studied substrates in reactions with metallocenes. 

Metalloboranes, 4 172 exopolyhedral, 4 208-210 main group element, 4 207-208 transition element, 4 205-207 Metallo-carbohedrene clusters, 4 648 Metallocarboranes, 4 170 as catalysts, 4 217-218 economic aspects, 4 229 exopolyhedral, 4 215-216 f-block element, 4 225-226 host-guest chemistry-carborane anticrowns, 4 216-217 structural systematics, 4 176-179 transition metal, 4 210-215 Metallocene catalysis, MAO in, 16 92-93. 

Metallocene, An organo-metallic coordination compound, or more specifically a cyclopentadienyl derivative of a transition metal or metal halide. Metallocenes are best known as catalysts for polymerizing ethylene and propylene. 

Recent advances in the development of well-defined homogeneous metallocene-type catalysts have facilitated mechanistic studies of the processes involved in initiation, propagation, and chain transfer reactions occurring in olefins coordi-native polyaddition. As a result, end-functional polyolefin chains have been made available [103].For instance, Waymouth et al.have reported about the formation of hydroxy-terminated poly(methylene-l,3-cyclopentane) (PMCP-OH) via selective chain transfer to the aluminum atoms of methylaluminoxane (MAO) in the cyclopolymerization of 1,5-hexadiene catalyzed by di(pentameth-ylcyclopentadienyl) zirconium dichloride (Scheme 37). Subsequent equimolar reaction of the hydroxyl extremity with AlEt3 afforded an aluminum alkoxide macroinitiator for the coordinative ROP of sCL and consecutively a novel po-ly(MCP-b-CL) block copolymer [104]. The diblock structure of the copolymer... 

Cyclopentadienyl compounds (i.e. metallocenes) (Fig. 5), which have at least one direct metal-carbon bond to the C5H5 ligand, were first synthesised in the 1950s [79,80]. Since then, reactions of cyclopentadienyl reagents have been applied for almost every element [123]. The main application of metallocenes is their use as catalysts in the polymerisation of olefins by Ziegler-Natta polymerisation processes. As many metallocene compounds are volatile and thermally stable, they are also suitable for use as precursors in MOCVD [124-127]. Although cyclopentadienyl compounds have attracted considerable interest as precursors in CVD depositions they are sometimes too reactive [128]. However, high reactivity and thermal stability make cy-... 

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