Zirconium Complexes of Amine−Bis(phenolate) Ligands as Catalysts for 1-Hexene Polymerization: Peripheral Structural Parameters Strongly Affect Reactivity

Novel amine bis(phenolate) zirconium dibenzyl complexes were synthesized in quantitative yields from a versatile family of chelating amine−bis((2-hydroxyaryl)methyl) ligand precursors, their X-ray structures solved, and their reactivity in the polymerization of 1-hexene in the presence of B(C6F5)3 studied. Several minor peripheral structural modifications were studied and found to have a major influence on the catalyst performance. Thus, a variety of reactivities, ranging from extremely high to negligible, were obtained, demonstrating a unique structure−reactivity relationship. This relationship is partially revealed from the crystal structures of the precatalysts, indicating similar [ONO] ligand cores in all structures solved. A correlation between the solid and the solution structures is obtained from 1H NMR spectra, which reveal a rigid binding of the ligand to the metal. The solid structures are therefore proposed to serve as reliable references when studying structure−reactivity relationships. The mo...