Kinetic resolution of chiral alpha-olefins using optically active ansa-zirconocene polymerization catalysts.

A series of enantiopure C1-symmetric metallocenes, [(SiMe2)2[eta5-C5H(CHMe2)2][eta5-C5H2((S)-CHMeCMe3)]]ZrCl2, (S)-2, [(SiMe2)2[eta5-C5H(CHEt2)2][eta5-C5H2((S)-CHMeCMe3)]]ZrCl2, (S)-6, and [(SiMe2)2[eta5-C5HCy2][eta5-C5H2((S)-CHMeCMe3)]]ZrCl2, (S)-7 (Cy = cyclohexyl), zirconocene dichlorides that have an enantiopure methylneopentyl substituent on the "upper" cyclopentadienyl ligand, and diastereomerically pure precatalysts, [(SiMe2)2[eta5-C5H((S)-CHMeCy)(CHMe2)][eta5-C5H3]]ZrCl2, (S)-8a and (S)-8b, which have an enantiopure, 1-cyclohexylethyl substituent on the "lower" cyclopentadienyl ligand, has been synthesized for use in the polymerization of chiral alpha-olefins. When activated with methylaluminoxane, these metallocenes show unprecedented activity for the polymerization of bulky racemic monomers bearing substitution at the 3- and/or 4-positions. Due to the optically pure nature of these single site catalysts, they effect kinetic resolution of racemic monomers: the polymeric product is enriched with the faster reacting enantiomer, while recovered monomer is enriched with the slower reacting enantiomer.