Tactic polymer polymerization process using chiral catalysts

1. A process for forming a multi-block copolymer, said copolymer containing therein two or more chemically distinguishable segments or blocks, at least one of which comprises a tactic polymer, the process comprising polymerizing one or more olefin monomers, at least one of which is capable of forming a tactic polymer, in the presence of a chain shuttling agent and a catalyst composition comprising:

two or more olefin polymerization catalysts capable of preparing polymers having differing chemical or physical properties under equivalent polymerization conditions, or

at least one olefin polymerization catalyst containing multiple active catalyst sites capable of preparing polymers having differing chemical or physical properties;

characterized in that at least one of the olefin polymerization catalysts comprises a metal complex containing at least one asymmetrically substituted (chiral) carbon atom, said metal complex being present in the form of a non-racemic mixture of the R- and S- enantiomers thereof.

2. A process according to claim 1 wherein the compound containing a chiral carbon atom corresponds to the formula:

wherein

M 1 is a Group 4 metal;

X 1 is an anionic, neutral or dianionic ligand group;

x′ is a number from 0 to 5 indicating the number of such X 1 groups

R 13 ,R 14 ,R 16 are hydrogen, halo, or an alkyl, cycloalkyl, heteroalkyl, heterocycloalkyl, aryl, or silyl group of up to 20 atoms not counting hydrogen, or adjacent R 13 , R 14 , R 15 R 16 groups may be joined together thereby forming fused ring derivatives;

R a independently each occurrence is C 1-4 alkyl, and a is 1-5;

R 17 and R 18 are different ligand groups selected from hydrogen, halogen, or a C 1-20 alkyl or aryl group, thereby resulting in an asymmetrically substituted carbon center;

T is a cycloaliphatic or aromatic group containing one or more rings;

R′ 1 independently each occurrence is hydrogen, halogen, or a univalent, polyatomic anionic ligand, or two or more R′ 1 groups are joined together thereby forming a polyvalent fused ring system;

R′ 2 independently each occurrence is hydrogen, halogen, or a univalent, polyatomic anionic ligand, or two or more R′ 2 groups are joined together thereby forming a polyvalent fused ring system; and

R′ 4 is hydrogen, alkyl, aryl, aralkyl, trihydrocarbylsilyl, or trihydrocarbylsilylmethyl of from 1 to 20 carbons.

3. A process according to claim 1 wherein the compound containing a chiral center is selected from:

[N-(2,6-di(1-methylethyl)phenyl)amido)(o-tolyl)(α-naphthalen-2-diyl(6-pyridin-2-diyl)methane)]hafnium dimethyl;

[N-(2,6-di(1-methylethyl)phenyl)amido)(o-tolyl)(α-naphthalen-2-diyl(6-pyridin-2-diyl)methane)]hafnium di(N,N-dimethylamido);

[N-(2,6-di(1-methylethyl)phenyl)amido)(o-tolyl)(α-naphthalen-2-diyl(6-pyridin-2-diyl)methane)]hafnium dichloride;

[N-(2,6-di(1-methylethyl)phenyl)amido)(2-isopropylphenyl)(α-naphthalen-2-diyl(6-pyridin-2-diyl)methane)]hafnium dimethyl;

[N-(2,6-di(1-methylethyl)phenyl)amido)(2-isopropylphenyl)(α-naphthalen-2-diyl(6-pyridin-2-diyl)methane)]hafnium di(N,N-dimethylamido);

[N-(2,6-di(1-methylethyl)phenyl)amido)(2-isopropylphenyl)(α-naphthalen-2-diyl(6-pyridin-2-diyl)methane)]hafnium dichloride;

[N-(2,6-di(1-methylethyl)phenyl)amido)(phenanthren-5-yl)(α-naphthalen-2-diyl(6-pyridin-2-diyl)methane)]hafnium dimethyl;

[N-(2,6-di(1-methylethyl)phenyl)amido)(phenanthren-5-yl)(α-naphthalen-2-diyl(6-pyridin-2-diyl)methane)]hafnium di(N,N-dimethylamido);

[N-(2,6-di(1-methylethyl)phenyl)amido)(phenanthren-5-yl)(a-naphthalen-2-diyl(6-pyridin-2-diyl)methane)]hafnium dichloride;

hafnium, [N-[2,6-bis(1-methylethyl)phenyl]-α-[2,4, 6-tri(1-methylethyl)phenyl]-5-(2-ethylbenzofuran-3-yl-κ-C 4 )-2-(N′-methyl)imidazol-2-yl)methanaminato (2-)-κN 1 , κN 2 ]di(methyl),

hafnium, [N-[2,6-bis(1-methylethyl)phenyl]-α-[2,6-di(1-methylethyl)phenyl]-5-(2-ethylbenzofuran-3-yl-κ-C 4 )-2-(N′-methyl)imidazol-2-yl)methanaminato (2-)-κN 1 , κN 2 ]di(methyl),

hafnium, [N-[2,6-bis(1-methylethyl)phenyl]-α-[2,4, 6-tri(1-methylethyl)phenyl]-5-(carbazol-1-yl-κ-C 2 )-2-(N′-methyl)imidazol-2-yl)methanaminato (2-)-κN 1 , κN 2 ]di(methyl),

hafnium, [N-[2,6-bis (1-methylethyl)phenyl]-α-[2,4,6-tri(1-methylethyl)phenyl]-5-(2-ethylbenzofuran-3-yl-κ-C 4 )-2-(N′-methyl)imidazol-2-yl)methanaminato (2-)-κN 1 , κN 2 ]di(benzyl),

hafnium, [N-[2,6-bis (1-methylethyl)phenyl]-α-[2,6-di(1-methylethyl)phenyl]-5-(2-ethylbenzofuran-3-yl-κ-C 4 )-2-(N′methyl)imidazol-2-yl)methanaminato (2-)-κN 1 , κN 2 ]di(benzyl),

hafnium, [N-[2,6-bis (1-methylethyl)phenyl]-α-[2,4,6-tri(1-methylethyl)phenyl]-5-(carbazol-1-yl-κ-C 2 )-2-(N′-methyl)imidazol-2-yl)methanaminato (2-)-κN 1 , κN 2 ]di(benzyl), and

hafnium, [N-[2,6-bis (1-methylethyl)phenyl]-α- [2,6-di(1-methylethyl)phenyl]-5-(carbazol-1-yl-κ-C 2 )-2-(N′methyl)imidazol-2-yl)methanaminato (2-)-κN 1 , κN 2 ]di(methyl).

4. A process according to claim 1 wherein propylene is polymerized or copolymerized with ethylene, one or more C 4-8 α-olefins, and/or a conjugated or non-conjugated diene.

5. A process according to claim 1 wherein the polymerization is conducted in the presence of a polar, aprotic compound.

6. A process according to claim 5 wherein the polar, aprotic compound is selected from the group consisting of o-xylene, ethylbenzene, 1,2,3-trimethylbenzene, 1,2,4-trimethylbenzene, 1,3,5-trimethylbenzene, isopropylbenzene, 1-methyl-2-ethylbenzene, 1,2-diethylbenzene, chlorobenzene, o-dichlorobenzene, chlorotoluene, 1-chloroethane, dichloromethane, 1,2-dichloroethane, 1-chloroethene, 1-chloropropane, 1,1-dichloroethane, 1-chlorobutane, 1-chloropentane, 1-chlorohexane, 1,1,1-trifluoroethane, difluoromethane, trifluoromethane, 1,1-difluoroethane, 1,1,1-triflurorethane, 1,1,1,2-tetrafluoroethane,1,1,1-trifluoropropane, 1,1,1-trifluorobutane, 1,1,1-trifluoropentane, 1,1,1-trifluorohexane, 1,1,1,3,3-pentafluoropropane, 1,1,1,3,3-pentafluorobutane, fluorocyclobutane, difluorocyclobutane, trifluorocyclobutane, pentafluorocyclobutane, fluorocyclohexane, 1,2-difluorocyclohexane,1,3-difluorocyclohexane, fluorobenzene, o-difluorobenzene, m-difluorobenzene, p-difluorobenzene, fluorotoluene, difluorotoluene, 1-chloro-1-fluoroethane, 1,2-dichloroflurorethane, dichlorofluoromethane, difluorochloromethane, 2-trifluoromethylpropane, tetrahydrofuran, methyl t-butyl ether, 2-butanone, diethylether, 1,2-dimethoxyethane, ethylene glycol dibutyl ether; diethylene glycol dimethyl ether, diethylene glycol dibutyl ether, dichloromethane, 1,4-dioxane, chloroform, sulfolane, dimethylformamide, and dimethylether.

7. A process according to claim 1 which is a continuous, solution polymerization.

8. A process according to claim 1 conducted at a temperature from 70 to 200° C.

9. A process 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.

10. A process according to any one of claims 1 - 9 wherein the metal complex is present in the form of the substantially pure R- or S-enantiomer thereof.

11. A process for forming a multi-block copolymer, said copolymer containing therein two or more chemically distinguishable segments or blocks, at least one of which comprises a tactic polymer, the process comprising polymerizing one or more olefin monomers, at least one of which is capable of forming a tactic polymer, in the presence of a chain shuttling agent and a catalyst composition comprising:

two or more olefin polymerization catalysts capable of preparing polymers having differing chemical or physical properties under equivalent polymerization conditions, or

at least one olefin polymerization catalyst containing multiple active catalyst sites capable of preparing polymers having differing chemical or physical properties;

characterized in that at least one of the olefin polymerization catalysts comprises a metal complex containing at least one asymmetrically substituted carbon atom, said metal complex being present in the form of a non-racemic mixture of the R- or S-enantiomers thereof.

12. A process according to claim 11 wherein the metal complex is present in the form of the substantially pure R- or S-enantiomer thereof.

13. A process for forming a tactic polymer, the process comprising polymerizing one or more olefin monomers, at least one of which is capable of forming a tactic polymer in the presence of a chain shuttling agent and a catalyst composition comprising a metal complex containing multiple active catalyst sites capable of preparing polymers having differing chemical or physical properties, characterized in that the metal complex contains at least one asymmetrically substituted carbon atom, said metal complex being present in the form of a non-racemic mixture of the R- or S-enantiomers thereof.

14. A process according to claim 13 wherein the metal complex is present in the form of the substantially pure R- or S-enantiomer thereof.

15. A process according to claim 13 or 14 wherein the polymerization is conducted in a polar, aprotic, organic liquid having a dielectric constant greater than 2.4.

16. A process according to claims 15 wherein the polar, aprotic organic liquid is selected from the group consisting of o-xylene, ethylbenzene, 1,2,3-trimethylbenzene, 1,2,4-trimethylbenzene, 1,3,5-trimethylbenzene, isopropylbenzene, 1-methyl-2-ethylbenzene, 1,2-diethylbenzene, chlorobenzene, o-dichlorobenzene, chlorotoluene, 1-chloroethane, dichloromethane, 1,2-dichloroethane, 1-chloroethene, 1-chloropropane, 1,1-dichloroethane,1-chlorobutane, 1-chloropentane, 1-chlorohexane, 1,1,1-trifluoroethane, difluoromethane, trifluoromethane, 1,1-difluoroethane, 1,1,1-triflurorethane, 1,1,1,2tetrafluoroethane,1,1,1-trifluoropropane, 1,1,1-trifluorobutane, 1,1,1-trifluoropentane, 1,1,1-trifluorohexane, 1,1,1,3,3-pentafluoropropane, 1,1,1,3,3-pentafluorobutane, fluorocyclobutane, difluorocyclobutane, trifluorocyclobutane, pentafluorocyclobutane, fluorocyclohexane, 1,2-difluorocyclohexane, 1,3-difluorocyclohexane, fluorobenzene, o-difluorobenzene, m-difluorobenzene, p-difluorobenzene, fluorotoluene, difluorotoluene, 1-chloro-1-fluoroethane, 1,2-dichloroflurorethane, dichlorofluoromethane, difluorochloromethane, 2-trifluoromethylpropane, tetrahydrofuran, methyl t-butyl ether, 2-butanone, diethylether, 1,2-dimethoxyethane, ethylene glycol dibutyl ether; diethylene glycol dimethyl ether, diethylene glycol dibutyl ether, dichloromethane, 1,4-dioxane, chloroform, sulfolane, dimethylformamide, and dimethylether.