Novel polymerization and copolymerization of ethylene, styrene, and/or butadiene by new organolanthanide-based catalysts
Replacement of one of the two C5Me5 ligands in the samarocene (II) complex (C5Me5) 2Sm (THF) 2 with a monodentate anionic ligand (e. g. , OAr, SAr, or NR1R2) gives a unique catalytic system, which can not only polymerize styrene and ethylene, but also copolymerize them into block styrene-ethylene copolymers under the presence of both monomers. On the other hand, addition of an appropriate cocatalyst such as MMAO or AlR3/[Ph3C][B (C6F 5) 4] to the samarocene complex (C5Me5) 2Sm (THF) 2 or (C5Me5) 2Sm (m-Me) 2AlMe2 affords a novel catalytic system for stereospecific 1,4-cis living polymerization of butadiene and copolymerization of butadiene with styrene.