Molecular and Supported Ti(III)–Alkyls: Efficient Ethylene Polymerization Driven by π-Character of Metal-Carbon Bonds and Back Donation from a Singly Occupied Molecular Orbital

Manuscript on a study on a homogeneous polymerization catalyst, its conversion to a heterogeneous catalyst by reaction with a support, an improvement of catalytic properties by this step, characterization of the structure of both catalysts, and insight into the mechanism of ethylene polymerization and its relation to electronic structure of intermediates. All important information for interpreting and reproducing the findings is contained in the main text and the supplementary information appended within the same PDF document.</div

Molecular and supported Ti(iii)-alkyls: efficient ethylene polymerization driven by the π-character of metal–carbon bonds and back donation from a singly occupied molecular orbital

ISSN:2041-6520ISSN:2041-653

Union Carbide Polymerization Catalysts: from Uncovering Active Site Structures to Designing Molecularly-Defined Analogs

The Union Carbide (UC) ethylene polymerization catalysts, based on chromocene dispersed on silica, show distinct features from the Phillips catalysts, but share the same heated debate regarding the structure of its active sites. Based on a combination of IR, EPR spectroscopies, labelling experiments, and DFT modelling, we identified monomeric surface-supported Cr(III) hydrides, (≡SiO)Cr(Cp)-H, as the active sites of the UC catalyst. These sites are formed in the presence of grafted and adsorbed chromocene as well as residual surface OH groups, only possible at high Cr loading, and involves a C-H activation of the Cp ring. These Cr-hydrides initiate polymerization, yielding Cr(III) alkyl species that insert ethylene through a Cossee-Arlman-type mechanism, as evidenced by spectroscopic studies. These insights inspired the design of a well-defined analogue, CpCr(CH(SiMe3)2)2 grafted on partially dehydroxylated silica, that shows similar spectroscopic and polymer structure as the UC catalyst, further supporting the proposed active site structure

Low-Coordinated Titanium(III) Alkyl-Molecular and Surface-Complexes: Detailed Structure from Advanced EPR Spectroscopy

ISSN:1433-7851ISSN:1521-3773ISSN:0570-083

Active Sites in Cr(III)-based Ethylene Polymerization Catalysts from Machine Learning-Supported XAS and EPR Spectroscopy

The ethylene polymerization Phillips catalyst has been employed for decades and is central to the polymer industry. While Cr(III) alkyl species are proposed to be the propagating sites, there is so far no direct experimental evidence for such proposal. In this work, by coupling Surface organometallic chemistry (SOMC), EPR spectroscopy, and machine learning-supported XAS studies, we have studied the electronic structure of well-defined silica-supported Cr(III) alkyls, and identified the presence of several surface species from high to low spin Cr(III), associated with different coordination environments. Notably, low-spin Cr(III) sites are shown to participate in ethylene polymerization, indicating that similar Cr(III) alkyl species could be involved in the related Phillips catalyst

Active Sites in Cr(III)-Based Ethylene Polymerization Catalysts from Machine-Learning-Supported XAS and EPR Spectroscopy

The ethylene polymerization Phillips catalyst has been employed for decades and is central to the polymer industry. While Cr(III) alkyl species are proposed to be the propagating sites, there is so far no direct experimental evidence for such proposal. In this work, by coupling Surface organometallic chemistry, EPR spectroscopy, and machine learning-supported XAS studies, we have studied the electronic structure of well-defined silica-supported Cr(III) alkyls and identified the presence of several surface species in high and low-spin states, associated with different coordination environments. Notably, low-spin Cr(III) sites are shown to participate in ethylene polymerization, indicating that similar Cr(III) alkyl species could be involved in the related Phillips catalyst.ISSN:1433-7851ISSN:1521-3773ISSN:0570-083

Union carbide polymerization catalysts: from uncovering active site structures to designing molecularly-defined analogs

The Union Carbide (UC) ethylene polymerization catalysts, based on chromocene dispersed on silica, show distinct features from the Phillips catalysts, but share the same heated debate regarding the structure of their active sites. Based on a combination of IR, EPR spectroscopies, labeling experiments, and DFT modeling, we identified monomeric surface-supported Cr(III) hydrides, ( SiO)Cr(Cp)-H, as the active sites of the UC catalyst. These sites are formed in the presence of grafted and adsorbed chromocene as well as residual surface OH groups, only possible at high Cr loading, and involve a C-H activation of the Cp ring. These Cr-hydrides initiate polymerization, yielding Cr(III)alkyl species that insert ethylene through a Cossee-Arlman-type mechanism, as evidenced by spectroscopic studies. These insights inspired the design of a well-defined analog, CpCr(CH(SiMe3)(2))(2) grafted on partially dehydroxylated silica, that shows similar spectroscopic and polymer structure to the UC catalyst, further supporting the proposed active site structure.ISSN:2041-6520ISSN:2041-653

Spectroscopic Signature and Structure of Active Sites in Ziegler-Natta Polymerization Catalysts revealed by Electron Paramagnetic Resonance

Despite decades of extensive studies, the atomic-scale structure of the active sites in heterogeneous Ziegler-Natta (ZN) catalysts, one of the most important processes of the chemical industry, remains elusive and a matter of debate. In the present work, the structure of “active sites” of ZN catalysts in the absence of ethylene, referred to as “dormant active sites”, is elucidated from magnetic resonance experiments, carried out on samples reacted with increasing amounts of BCl3 so as to enhance the concentration of active sites and observe clear spectroscopic signatures. Using EPR and NMR spectroscopies, in particular 2D HYSCORE experiments complemented by DFT calculations, we show that the activated ZN catalysts contain bimetallic alkyl-Ti(III),Al species whose amount is directly linked to the polymerization activity of MgCl2-supported Ziegler-Natta catalysts. This connects those spectroscopic signatures to the active species formed in the presence of ethylene, and enables us propose an ethylene polymerization mechanism on the observed bimetallic alkyl-Ti(III),Al species based on DFT computations<br /

Spectroscopic Signature and Structure of Active Centers in Ziegler-Natta Polymerization Catalysts revealed by Electron Paramagnetic Resonance

Despite decades of extensive studies, the atomic-scale structure of active sites in heterogeneous Ziegler-Natta (ZN) catalysts remains elusive and a matter of debate. Here, the structure of polymerization ZN catalysts is elucidated from magnetic resonance experiments carried out on samples reacted with increasing amounts of BCl3 so as to enhance the concentration of active sites and observe clear spectroscopic signatures. Notably, we show that EPR and NMR spectroscopy of the activated ZN catalysts enables to observe paramagnetic species whose amount increases in conjunction with the catalytic activity. The joint application of 2D HYSCORE experiments and DFT calculations reveals the presence of bimetallic alkyl-Ti(III),Al complexes that are assigned to the catalytic centers of MgCl2-supported Ziegler-Natta catalyst