Nitriles as Functionalization and Coupling Agents for Polyolefins Obtained by Coordinative Chain Transfer Polymerization.

Coordinative chain transfer polymerization (CCTP) of ethylene and its copolymerization with 1,3-butadiene is conducted in toluene at 80 °C using a combination of {(MeSi(CH))Nd(μ-BH)[(μ-BH)Li(THF)]} (1) metal complex and various organomagnesium compounds used as chain transfer agents including n-butyl-n-octyl-magnesium (BOMAG), n-butyl-mesityl-magnesium (n-BuMgMes), n-butyl-magnesium chloride (n-BuMgCl), n-pentyl-magnesium bromide (n-CHMgBr), pentanediyl-1,5-di(magnesium bromide) (PDMB) and isobutyl-magnesium chloride (i-BuMgCl). Kinetics and performance in terms of control of the (co)polymerization are comparatively discussed particularly considering the presence of ether and the nature of the organomagnesium compounds employed. Taking advantage of the well-known reactivity between nitrile and molecular organomagnesium compounds, the functionalization of the chains is further carried out by deactivation of the polymerization medium with benzonitrile or methoxybenzonitrile compounds leading to ketone ω-functionalized chains.

Multiblock Copolymers Based on Highly Crystalline Polyethylene and Soft Poly(ethylene-co-butadiene) Segments: Towards Polyolefin Thermoplastic Elastomers.

Block copolymers based on polyethylene (PE) and ethylene butadiene rubber (EBR) were obtained by successive controlled coordinative chain transfer polymerization (CCTP) of a mixture of ethylene and butadiene (80/20) and pure ethylene. EBR-b-PE diblock copolymers were synthesized using the {Me Si(C H ) Nd(BH ) Li(THF)} complex in combination with n-butyl,n-octyl magnesium (BOMAG) used as both the alkylating and chain transfer agent (CTA). Triblock and multiblock copolymers featuring highly semi-crystalline PE hard segments and soft EBR segments were further obtained by the development of a bimetallic CTA, the pentanediyl-1,5-di(magnesium bromide) (PDMB).

Ethylene-Coordinative Chain-Transfer Polymerization-Induced Self-Assembly (CCTPISA).

Block copolymers based on ethylene (E) and butadiene (B) were prepared using the ansa-bis(fluorenyl) complex {Me Si(C H ) Nd(BH ) Li(THF)} in combination with (n-Bu)(n-Oct)Mg (BOMAG) as a chain-transfer agent. The diblock copolymers incorporating a soft poly(ethylene-co-butadiene) segment, called ethylene butadiene rubber (EBR), and a hard polyethylene (PE) one were obtained by simply adjusting the different feeds of monomers during the polymerization. The soluble EBR block was formed first by feeding the catalytic system dissolved in toluene at 70 °C with a mixture of ethylene and butadiene (E/B molar ratio 80 : 20).

Switch from Anionic Polymerization to Coordinative Chain Transfer Polymerization: A Valuable Strategy to Make Olefin Block Copolymers.

Anionic polymerization of butadiene or/and styrene is performed with lithium initiators, functional or not. The polymer chains are subsequently transferred to magnesium. The resulting polymeryl-magnesium compounds were combined with {(Me Si(C H ) )Nd(μ-BH )[(μ-BH )Li(THF)]} metallocene complex to act as macromolecular chain transfer agents (macroCTAs) in coordinative chain transfer polymerization (CCTP) of ethylene (E) or its copolymerization (CCTcoP) with butadiene (B).

Dinuclear gold(I) and gold(III) complexes of bridging functionalized bis(N-heterocyclic carbene) ligands: synthesis, structural, spectroscopic and electrochemical characterizations.

We report the synthesis of Au(I) and Au(III) complexes, involving alcohol functionalized bis(N-heterocyclic carbene) ligands. Two short reaction pathways lead to the diimidazolium precursors, namely 1,1'-(2,6-pyridinediyl)bis[3-(2-hydroxyethyl)-1H-imidazol-3-ium]diiodide (), 3,3'(methanediyl)bis[1-(2-hydroxy-2-methylpropyl)-1H-imidazol-3-ium]dibromide () and 3,3'-(1,3-propanediyl)bis[1-(2-hydroxy-2-methylpropyl)-1H-imidazol-3-ium]bis(4-methylbenzenesulfonate) (), in which the two azolium rings are bridged by a rigid pyridine unit or an aliphatic chain (C1 or C3). The Au(I) complexes [AuI(Lpy)]2(2+)[PF6-]2 () and [AuI(LC1)]2(2+)[PF6-]2 () were obtained by direct metallation of the salts and , respectively, in the presence of sodium acetate with Au(SMe(2))Cl, followed by an anionic metathesis in the presence of KPF6.