A new synthetic route to borane‐terminated isotactic polypropylenes via styrene/hydrogen consecutive chain transfer reaction

This paper discusses a new process of preparing borane‐terminated isotactic polypropylenes (i‐PPs) via in situ chain transfer reaction, which avoids the use of B‐H‐containing chain transfer agent and thus can be carried out with Al‐activated metallocene catalyst under mild reaction conditions. The chemistry centers on a consecutive chain transfer reaction, first to a trialkylborane‐containing styrene derivative, 4‐[B‐(n‐butylene)‐9‐BBN]styrene (B‐styrene), then to hydrogen in the isoselective polymerization of propylene catalyzed by rac‐Me2Si(2‐Me‐4‐Ph‐Ind)2ZrCl2/MAO. The borane‐terminated i‐PP thus obtained keeps the desired properties of a polymeric alkyl‐9‐BBN reagent and was used to initiate radical polymerization of methyl methacrylate (MMA) to prepare i‐PP‐b‐PMMA diblock copolymer.