2,4,6–Triphenylpyridinium: A Bulky, Highly Electron–Withdrawing Substituent Which Enhances Properties of Nickel(II) Ethylene Polymerization Catalysts
The reactivity of Ni(II) and Pd(II) olefin polymerization catalysts can be enhanced by introduction of electron-withdrawing substituents on the supporting ligands rendering the metal centers more electrophilic. Reported here is a comparison of ethylene polymerization activity of a classical salicyliminato nickel catalyst substituted with the powerful electron-withdrawing 2,4,6-triphenylpyridinium (trippy) group to its’ –CF3 analog. The trippy substituent is substantially more electron-withdrawing (σmeta = 0.63) than the trifluoromethyl group (σmeta = 0.43) which results in a ca. 8-fold increase in catalytic turnover frequency. An additional advantage of trippy is its’ high steric bulk relative to the trifluoromethyl group. This feature results in a four-fold increase in polymer molecular weight due to enhanced retardation of chain transfer. Here, a significant increase in catalyst lifetime is observed as well.