Cyclopropyl vs. Isopropyl in Zirconocenes: Unexpected Catalytic Performance in Propylene Polymerization

Key Points

• The central aim is to investigate how different substituents on zirconocenes affect their catalytic performance in propylene polymerization.
• Synthesis of C2-symmetric silicon-bridged bis(indenyl) zirconocenes with varying substituents.
• Comparison of catalytic performance using 4-cyclopropyl-substituted and other zirconocenes.
• The 4-cyclopropyl-substituted catalyst showed catalytic performance that was inconsistent with prior expectations.
• Unexpected catalytic efficiencies were observed, indicating nuanced behavior of substituents.