α-Diimine Synthesis via Titanium-Mediated Multicomponent Diimination of Alkynes with C-Nitrosos

α-Diimines are commonly used as supporting ligands for a variety of transition metal-catalyzed processes, most notably in α-olefin polymerization. They are also precursors to valuable synthetic targets, such as chiral...

Modification of the Acyl Chloride Quench-Labeling Method for Counting Active Sites in Catalytic Olefin Polymerization

The reliable and efficient counting of active sites in catalytic olefin polymerization has been realized by using acyl chloride as the quench-labeling agent. However, the molar ratio of acyl chloride to the alkylaluminum cocatalyst must be larger than 1 in order to completely depress side reactions between the quencher and Al-polymeryl that is formed via chain transfer reaction. In this work, a tetrahydrofuran/thiophene-2-carbonyl chloride (THF/TPCC) mixture was used as the quenching agent when counting the active sites of propylene polymerization catalyzed by MgCl2/Di/TiCl4 (Di = internal electron donor)-type Ziegler–Natta catalyst activated with triethylaluminum (TEA). When the THF/TEA molar ratio was 1 and the TPCC/TEA molar ratio was smaller than 1, the [S]/[Ti] ratio of the polymer quenched with the THF/TPCC mixture was the same as that quenched with only TPCC at TPCC/TEA > 1, indicating quench-labeling of all active sites bearing a propagation chain. The replacement of a part of the TPCC with THF did not influence the precision of active site counting by the acyl chloride quench-labeling method, but it effectively reduced the amount of acyl chloride. This modification to the acyl chloride quench-labeling method significantly reduced the amount of precious acyl chloride quencher and brought the benefit of simplifying polymer purification procedures after the quenching step.

Preparation of High-Purity Ammonium Tetrakis(pentafluorophenyl)borate for the Activation of Olefin Polymerization Catalysts

Homogeneous olefin polymerization catalysts are activated in situ with a co-catalyst ([PhN(Me)2-H]+[B(C6F5)4]− or [Ph3C]+[B(C6F5)4]−) in bulk polymerization media. These co-catalysts are insoluble in hydrocarbon solvents, requiring excess co-catalyst (>3 eq). Feeding the activated species as a solution in an aliphatic hydrocarbon solvent may be advantageous over the in situ activation method. In this study, highly pure and soluble ammonium tetrakis(pentafluorophenyl)borates ([Me(C18H37)2N-H]+[B(C6F5)4]− and [(C18H37)2NH2]+[B(C6F5)4]−) containing neither water nor Cl− salt impurities were prepared easily via the acid–base reaction of [PhN(Me)2-H]+[B(C6F5)4]− and the corresponding amine. Using the prepared ammonium salts, the activation reactions of commercial-process-relevant metallocene (rac-[ethylenebis(tetrahydroindenyl)]Zr(Me)2 (1-ZrMe2), [Ph2C(Cp)(3,6-tBu2Flu)]Hf(Me)2 (3-HfMe2), [Ph2C(Cp)(2,7-tBu2Flu)]Hf(Me)2 (4-HfMe2)) and half-metallocene complexes ([(h5-Me4C5)Si(Me)2(k-NtBu)]Ti(Me)2 (5-TiMe2), [(h5-Me4C5)(C9H9(k-N))]Ti(Me)2 (6-TiMe2), and [(h5-Me3C7H1S)(C10H11(k-N))]Ti(Me)2 (7-TiMe2)) were monitored in C6D12 with 1H NMR spectroscopy. Stable [L-M(Me)(NMe(C18H37)2)]+[B(C6F5)4]− species were cleanly generated from 1-ZrMe2, 3-HfMe2, and 4-HfMe2, while the species types generated from 5-TiMe2, 6-TiMe2, and 7-TiMe2 were unstable for subsequent transformation to other species (presumably, [L-Ti(CH2N(C18H37)2)]+[B(C6F5)4]−-type species). [L-TiCl(N(H)(C18H37)2)]+[B(C6F5)4]−-type species were also prepared from 5-TiCl(Me) and 6-TiCl(Me), which were newly prepared in this study. The prepared [L-M(Me)(NMe(C18H37)2)]+[B(C6F5)4]−-, [L-Ti(CH2N(C18H37)2)]+[B(C6F5)4]−-, and [L-TiCl(N(H)(C18H37)2)]+[B(C6F5)4]−-type species, which are soluble and stable in aliphatic hydrocarbon solvents, were highly active in ethylene/1-octene copolymerization performed in aliphatic hydrocarbon solvents.