Cationic zirconocene olefin polymerization catalysts based on the organo-Lewis acid tris(pentafluorophenyl)borane. A synthetic, structural, solution dynamic, and polymerization catalytic study

We have isolated and systematically studied the structural and chemical properties of a series of electron-deficient cationic zircocene alkyl and hydrido complexes with high olefin polymerization activities. The single crystal X-ray diffraction-derived solid state and NMR-derived solution structures of these complexes correlate well with each other and afford considerable insight into the nature of these species. Through the use of the novel organoborane, we have, for the first time, unambiguously demonstrated the role of the key metallocene-cocatalyst interaction that has been proposed for MAO, alkyl aluminum halides, and dehydroxylated alumina. 56 refs., 10 figs., 19 tabs.