Catalyst composition comprising shuttling agent for higher olefin multi-block copolymer formation

1. A copolymer formed by polymerizing propylene, 4-methyl-1-pentene, styrene, or another C 4-20 α-olefin, and a copolymerizable comonomer in the presence of a composition comprising the admixture or reaction product resulting from combining:

(A) a first olefin polymerization catalyst comprising a complex corresponding to the formula

R 20 is an aromatic or inertly substituted aromatic group containing from 5 to 20 atoms not counting hydrogen, or a polyvalent derivative thereof;

T 3 is a hydrocarbylene or silane group having from 1 to 20 atoms not counting hydrogen, or an inertly substituted derivative thereof;

M 3 is a Group 4 metal;

G is an anionic, neutral or dianionic ligand group;

g is a number from 1 to 5 indicating the number of G groups; and

bonds and electron donative interactions are represented by lines and arrows respectively;

(B) a second olefin polymerization catalyst capable of preparing polymers differing in chemical or physical properties from the polymer prepared by catalyst (A) under equivalent polymerization conditions; and

(C) a chain shuttling agent.

2. A copolymer formed by polymerizing propylene, 4-methyl-1-pentene, styrene, or another C 4-20 α-olefin, and a copolymerizable comonomer in the presence of a composition comprising the admixture or reaction product resulting from combining:

(A) a first olefin polymerization catalyst comprising a complex corresponding to the formula

R 20 is an aromatic or inertly substituted aromatic group containing from 5 to 20 atoms not counting hydrogen, or a polyvalent derivative thereof;

T 3 is a hydrocarbylene or silane group having from 1 to 20 atoms not counting hydrogen, or an inertly substituted derivative thereof;

M 3 is a Group 4 metal;

G is an anionic, neutral or dianionic ligand group;

g is a number from 1 to 5 indicating the number of G groups; and

bonds and electron donative interactions are represented by lines and arrows respectively;

(B) a second olefin polymerization catalyst having a comonomer incorporation index less than 95 percent of the comonomer incorporation index of catalyst (A); and

(C) a chain shuttling agent.

3. A copolymer according to claim 1 wherein the shuttling agent is a trihydrocarbyl aluminum-or dihydrocarbyl zinc-compound containing from 1 to 12 carbons in each hydrocarbyl group.

4. A copolymer according to claim 3 wherein the shuttling agent is triethylaluminum or diethylzinc.

5. The copolymer according to claim 1 wherein catalyst (A) corresponds to the formula:

T 3 is a divalent bridging group of from 2 to 20 atoms not counting hydrogen; and

Ar 2 independently each occurrence is an arylene or an alkyl-or aryl-substituted arylene group of from 6 to 20 atoms not counting hydrogen;

M 3 is a Group 4 metal;

G independently each occurrence is an anionic, neutral or dianionic ligand group;

g is a number from 1 to ≡indicating the number of G groups; and

electron donative interactions are represented by arrows.

6. A copolymer according to claim 3 wherein catalyst (A) corresponds to the formula:

where M 3 is Hf or Zr;

Ar 4 is C 6-20 aryl or inertly substituted derivatives thereof, especially 3,5-di(isopropyl)phenyl, 3,5-di(isobutyl)phenyl, dibenzo-1H-pyrrole-1-yl, or anthracen-5-yl, and

T 4 independently each occurrence comprises a C 3-6 alkylene group, a C 3-6 cycloalkylene group, or an inertly substituted derivative thereof;

R 21 independently each occurrence is hydrogen, halo, hydrocarbyl, trihydrocarbylsilyl, or trihydrocarbylsilylhydrocarbyl of up to 50 atoms not counting hydrogen; and

G, independently each occurrence is halo or a hydrocarbyl or trihydrocarbylsilyl group of up to 20 atoms not counting hydrogen, or 2 G groups together are a divalent derivative of the foregoing hydrocarbyl or trihydrocarbylsilyl groups.

7. A copolymer according to claim 3 wherein catalyst (A) corresponds to the formula:

wherein Ar 4 is 3,5-di(isopropyl)phenyl, 3,5-di(isobutyl)phenyl, dibenzo-1H-pyrrole-1-yl, or anthracen-5-yl,

R 21 is hydrogen, halo, or C 1-4 alkyl, especially methyl

T 4 is propan-1, 3-diyl or butan-1, 4-diyl, and

G is chloro, methyl or benzyl.

8. A copolymer according to claim 1 wherein catalyst (B) corresponds to the formula:

wherein

M 2 is a metal of Groups 4-10 of the Periodic Table of the elements;

T 2 is a nitrogen, oxygen or phosphorus containing group;

X 2 is halo, hydrocarbyl, or hydrocarbyloxy;

t is one or two;

x″ is a number selected to provide charge balance;

and T 2 and N are linked by a bridging ligand.