Adv Polym Sci (2013) 258: 163–178
DOI: 10.1007/12_2013_212
# Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2013
Published online: 19 April 2013
Novel Polyethylenes via Late Transition
Metal Complex Pre-catalysts
Wen-Hua Sun
Abstract Late-transition metal complex pre-catalysts provide alternative
promising catalytic systems for ethylene oligomerization and/or polymerization.
Ethylene oligomerization using either iron or cobalt complex pre-catalysts is
recognized as one of most active catalytic systems with high selectivity for
α-olefins (up to 99%). New characteristic features are observed for the
polyethylenes obtained from such late-transition metal catalytic systems. Highly
linear polyethylene is usually obtained using the iron or cobalt complex
pre-catalysts, whereas highly branched polyethylene is commonly formed by the
nickel or palladium complex pre-catalysts. The causes for production of linear or
branched polyethylenes are briefly explained according to the polymerization
mechanism. Driven by demanding for new promising catalytic processes, the
discussion is divided on the basis of models of complex pre-catalysts: a section
on iron and cobalt complexes and another section on nickel and palladium
complexes. The iron and nickel complex pre-catalysts receive more attention due
to the relatively cheap and low toxicity metals from which they are derived.
Keywords Branched polyethylene Á Ethylene oligomerization Á Late-transition
metal Á Linear polyethylene Á Polymerization
Contents
1 The Characteristic Features of LT-PE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 165
2 Variations in Iron and Cobalt Complex Pre-catalysts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166
3 The Nickel Complex Pre-catalysts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 173
References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 176
W.-H. Sun (*)
Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China
e-mail: whsun@iccas.ac.cn
DOI: 10.1007/12_2013_212
# Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2013
Published online: 19 April 2013
Novel Polyethylenes via Late Transition
Metal Complex Pre-catalysts
Wen-Hua Sun
Abstract Late-transition metal complex pre-catalysts provide alternative
promising catalytic systems for ethylene oligomerization and/or polymerization.
Ethylene oligomerization using either iron or cobalt complex pre-catalysts is
recognized as one of most active catalytic systems with high selectivity for
α-olefins (up to 99%). New characteristic features are observed for the
polyethylenes obtained from such late-transition metal catalytic systems. Highly
linear polyethylene is usually obtained using the iron or cobalt complex
pre-catalysts, whereas highly branched polyethylene is commonly formed by the
nickel or palladium complex pre-catalysts. The causes for production of linear or
branched polyethylenes are briefly explained according to the polymerization
mechanism. Driven by demanding for new promising catalytic processes, the
discussion is divided on the basis of models of complex pre-catalysts: a section
on iron and cobalt complexes and another section on nickel and palladium
complexes. The iron and nickel complex pre-catalysts receive more attention due
to the relatively cheap and low toxicity metals from which they are derived.
Keywords Branched polyethylene Á Ethylene oligomerization Á Late-transition
metal Á Linear polyethylene Á Polymerization
Contents
1 The Characteristic Features of LT-PE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 165
2 Variations in Iron and Cobalt Complex Pre-catalysts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166
3 The Nickel Complex Pre-catalysts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 173
References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 176
W.-H. Sun (*)
Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China
e-mail: whsun@iccas.ac.cn