Highly fluorous zirconocene(IV) complexes and their catalytic applications in the polymerization of ethylene

Abstract

The catalytic activities of the highly fluorous systems formed by the zirconocene(IV) complexes [Zr{η 5-C 5H 4SiMe 2C 2H 4R F} 2Cl 2] (R F = C 6F 13 ( 4a), C 10F 21 ( 4b)) or [Zr-{η 5-C 5H 3(SiMe 2C 2H 4C 6F 13) 2} 2Cl 2] ( 5a) and MMAO in toluene have been studied and compared with analogous nonfluorous systems generated from [Zr{η 5-C 5H 4SiMe 3} 2Cl 2] and [Zr{η 5-C 5H 5} 2Cl 2]. Although less active than the reference systems, the fluorous catalysts are stable over prolonged polymerization times, giving rise to polymers with similar molecular weights to those obtained with [Zr{η 5-C 5H 4SiMe 3} 2Cl 2].