The combination of mononuclear metallocene and phenoxyimine complexes to give trinuclear catalysts for the polymerization of ethylene

Trinuclear complexes were synthesized by combination of metallocene and phenoxyimine zirconium complexes. After activation with methylalumoxane (MAO), these catalysts polymerize ethylene with moderate and good activities. Due to the presence of different catalytic centers, polyethylenes with broad or bimodal molecular weight distributions were obtained.

Graphical abstractA series of 23 mononuclear and trinuclear zirconium complexes containing phenoxyimine or combined metallocene/phenoxyimine ligands were synthesized and characterized. After activation with methylalumoxane (MAO), the trinuclear catalysts produced polyethylenes with broad or bimodal molecular weight distributions.Figure optionsDownload full-size imageDownload as PowerPoint slide