Selectivity Control in Nickel-Catalyzed Olefin Oligomerization

Selectivity Control in Nickel-Catalyzed Olefin Oligomerization... 

Recent Developments in Theoretical Organometallic Chemistry, 15, 1 Redistribution Equilibria of Organometallic Compounds, 6, 171 Redistribution Reactions of Transition Metal Organometallic Complexes, 23, 9S Redistribution Reactions on Silicon Catalyzed by Transition Metal Complexes, 19, 213 Remarkable Features of (t) -Conjugated Diene) zirconocene and -hafnocene Complexes, 24, 1 Selectivity Control in Nickel-Catalyzed Olefin Oligomerization, 17, lOS Silyl, Germyl, and Stannyl Derivatives of Azenes, N H Part I. Derivatives of Diazene, N3H2, 23, 131... 

In the present chapter an attempt is made to summarize the available material concerning the control of selectivity in the nickel-catalyzed homogeneous oligomerization of olefins and related reactions [for a previous review of this topic, see Bogdanovic et al. (4)]. No attempt has, however, been made to give a complete literature survey. 

Dimerization, oligomerization, and similar reactions of olefins have been reported to be catalyzed by systems involving the majority of the Group VIII metals (3). The reasons for the particular interest in nickel-containing catalysts are their exceptionally high catalytic activity (catalytic reactions have been performed at temperatures as low as - 100°C), the diversity of catalytic reactions of obvious synthetic value, as well as the possibility to direct the course and control the selectivity of a catalytic reaction by tailoring the catalyst which are perhaps without parallel among transition metal complex catalysts. 

Based on Ziegler s work at the MPl fiir Kohlenforschung in Miilheim/Germany, Wilke and co-workers learned how to control the selectivity of nickel-catalyzed reaction by use of ligands. Keim, then at Shell at Emeryville, introduced P-O chelate ligands and carried out the basic research for the oligomerization process. The whole process was developed in a collaboration between Shell Development in the US and the Royal Shell Labs in Amsterdam/The Netherlands. Today there are two locations producing nearly 1 MMt of a-olefins per year. 

---