High Temperature Iron Ethylene Polymerization Catalysts Bearing N,N,N'-2-(1-(2,4-Dibenzhydryl-6-fluorophenylimino)ethyl)-6-(1-(arylphenylimino)ethyl)pyridines

The N,N,N'-ferrous chloride complexes,[2-{CMeN(2,4-(CHPh)_(2)-6-FC_(6)H_(2))}-6-(CMeNAr)C_(5)H_(3)N]FeCl_(2)(Ar=2,6-Me_(2)C_(6)H_(3) Fe1,2,6-Et_(2)C_(6)H_(3)Fe2,2,6-^(i)Pr_(2)C_(6)H_(3) Fe3,2,4,6-Me_(3)C_(6)H_(2) Fe4 and 2,6-Et_(2)-4-MeC_(6)H_(2) Fe5),each possessing one N-2,4-dibenzhydryl-6-fluorophenyl group,were readily synthesized from their respective unsymmetrical bis(imino)pyridines,L1-L5.Structural identification of Fe2 highlighted the variation in the steric properties provided by the dissimilar N-aryl groups.Following pre-treatment with either MAO or MMAO,complexes Fe1-Fe5 all displayed,at an operating temperature of 80℃,high activities for ethylene polymerization with levels falling in the order:Fe4> Fe1> Fe5> Fe2> Fe3.Notably,Fe4/MAO displayed the highest activity of 1.94×10^(7) g_(PE)·mol_(Fe)^(-1)·h^(-1) of the study with only a modest loss in performance at 90℃.Generally,the resulting polyethylenes were highly linear(T_(m) range:122-132℃),narrowly disperse and of low molecular weight(M_(w) range:6.73-46.04kg·mol^(-1)),with the most sterically hindered Fe3 forming the highest molecular weight polymer of the series.End-group analysis by ^(1)H-and ^(13)CNMR spectroscopy revealed saturated alkyl(n-propyl and i-propyl) and unsaturated vinyl chain ends indicative of the role of both β-H elimination and chain transfer to aluminum as termination pathways.By comparison with previou sly reported iron precatalysts with similar tridentate ligand skeletons,it is evident that the introduction of a large benzhydryl group in combination with a fluorine as the ortho-substituents of one N-aryl group has the effect of enhancing thermal stability of the iron polymerization catalyst whilst maintaining appreciable polymer molecular weight.