Nuclearity and cooperativity effects in binuclear catalysts and cocatalysts for olefin polymerization.

A series of bimetallic organo-group 4 "constrained geometry" catalysts and binuclear bisborane and bisborate cocatalysts have been synthesized to probe catalyst center-catalyst center cooperativity effects on olefin enchainment in homogenous olefin polymerization and copolymerization processes. Significant nuclearity effects are found versus mononuclear controls, and the effect can be correlated with metal-metal approach distances and ion pairing effects. Novel polymer structures can be obtained by using such binuclear catalyst/cocatalyst systems.