Ethylene Homo‐ and Copolymerization Activity of a Series of [ONNO]‐Type Amine Bis(phenolate) Based Vanadium( II – V ) Catalysts

The synthesis and structural characterization of new paramagnetic amine bis(phenolate) [ONNO]‐vanadium(III) and‐vanadium(II) complexes, VIII(acac)[ONNO], VIII(Cl)(THF)[ONNO], and VII(TMEDA)[ONNO], is described. These compounds complete the family of [ONNO]‐vanadium(IV/V) complexes previously reported. The members of the [ONNO]‐vanadium family at various oxidation states that range from vanadium(II) to vanadium(V), in association with EtAlCl2 cocatalyst, were studied in the polymerization of ethylene and in the copolymerizations of ethylene‐1‐hexene and ethylene‐norbornene. Poly(ethylene‐co‐1‐hexene) and poly(ethylene‐co‐norbornene) were produced with co‐monomer content of up to 11 mol‐% and 29 mol‐% for 1‐hexene and norbornene, respectively. (© Wiley‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, 69451 Weinheim, Germany, 2005)