Enhancing Performance Of A Bis(Arylimino)Pyridine-Iron Precatalyst For Ethylene Polymerization By Substitution With A 2,4-Bis(4,4 '-Dimethoxybenzhydryl)-6-Methylphenyl Group

A series of unsymmetrical 2-(2,4-bis(bis(4-methoxyphenyl)methyl)-6-MeC6H2N)-6-(1-(arylimino)ethyl)pyridine-iron halides has been synthesized and characterized. The molecular structure of two representative species was determined by the single-crystal X-ray diffraction. Activated with either MAO or MMAO, the precatalysts displayed high activity, reaching 2.19x10(7) g PE (mol Fe)(-1) h(-1) at 60 degrees C in ethylene polymerization. The microstructural analysis of the polymers obtained indicates highly linear polyethylene containing a vinyl chain end.