Highly active titanium-based olefin polymerization catalysts bearing bulky aminopyridinato ligands.

A series of titanium complexes have been prepared using either salt metathesis or amine elimination reactions. Reacting the potassium salt of Ap*H {Ap*H = N-(2,6-diisopropylphenyl)-[6-(2,4,6-triisopropylphenyl)pyridin-2-yl]amine} (1) with [TiCl(4)(THF)(2)] results in the formation of a nucleophilic ring-opening product of the coordinated tetrahydrofuran (THF) ligand [Ap*TiCl(2)(OC(4)H(8)Cl)] (7). Alkylation with benzylmagnesium chloride gave rise to the corresponding benzyl complex [Ap*TiBn(2)(OC(4)H(8)Cl)] (8). However, THF ring opening was overcome by adopting an amine elimination route instead of salt metathesis. Mono(aminopyridinato)titanium trichloro complexes were prepared in high yields using [(CH(3))(2)NTiCl(3)], together with the corresponding sterically demanding aminopyridine as the starting material. The synthesized complexes could then be alkylated selectively. These complexes were characterized by spectroscopic methods, and their behavior in olefin polymerization and copolymerization of ethene and propene was explored. These mono(aminopyridinato)titanium trichloro complexes are less active if activated with methylaluminoxane (MAO). However, the activity increases strongly if MAO is replaced by d-MAO ("dry methylaluminoxane"). The catalysts show moderate activity toward propene polymerization, while ethylene-propylene copolymers in high-productivity with separated propene units were observed. The catalysts are also highly active in the co- and terpolymerization of 2-ethylidenenorbornene (ENB) with ethylene or ethylene-propylene, together with a very good incorporation of ENB. In all cases, the activity increases with an increase in the steric bulk of the protecting ligand.