Metal complex with a lewis base ligand

1. A metal complex of the formula (1)

CyAMX(L) n   (1)

wherein:

Cy is a cyclopentadienyl-type ligand;

M is a metal of group 4;

A is an amidine-containing ligand moiety, represented by formula 2:

wherein the amidine-containing ligand is covalently bonded to the metal M via the imine nitrogen atom, and Sub1 is a substituent comprising a group 14 atom through which Sub1 is bonded to the imine carbon atom and Sub2 is a substituent comprising a heteroatom of group 15, through which Sub2 is bonded to the imine carbon atom;

X is an allyl borate ligand derived from a conjugated diene ligand and a borane; and

L is a neutral Lewis basic ligand and “n” is 1 to an amount that specifies the 18-electron rule.

2. The metal complex according to claim 1 , wherein L is an ether, a thioether, an amine, a tertiary phosphane, an imine, a nitrile, are isonitrile, or a bi- or oligodentate donor.

3. The metal complex according to claim 1 wherein L is t-butylisonitrile.

4. The metal complex according to claim 1 wherein M is titanium.

5. The metal complex according to claim 1 wherein n is 1 or 2.

6. The metal complex according to claim 1 , wherein X is an allyl borate ligand derived from a diene with a borane of the general formula BQ 1 Q 2 Q 3 wherein Q 1 , Q 2 , and Q 3 are individually a halogen atom, hydrocarbon group, halogenated hydrocarbon group, substituted silyl group, alkoxy group or di-substituted amino group.

7. The metal complex according to claim 1 , wherein Sub1 is a phenyl or substituted phenyl residue and Sub2 is an amino radical of the formula —NR 4 R 5 with R 4 and R 5 being individually selected from the group of aliphatic hydrocarbyl, halogenated aliphatic hydrocarbyl, aromatic hydrocarbyl, and halogenated aromatic hydrocarbonyl residues, one of R 4 and R 5 may optionally form a heterocyclic structure with the other of R 4 and R 5 , or with Sub1.

8. Process for manufacturing the metal complex according to claim 1 , the process comprising reacting a metal complex of the formula (3)

CyAMX  (3)

with a Lewis base L.

9. The process according to claim 8 , further comprising forming the metal complex of formula (3) by reacting a borane and a metal complex of formula (4)

CyAMD  (4)

wherein D is a conjugated diene.

10. A catalyst system comprising:

a) the metal complex according to claim 1 ; and

b) a scavenger.

11. The catalyst system according to claim 10 , wherein the scavenger b) is a hydrocarbyl of a metal or metalloid of any of groups 1-13 or its reaction products with at least one sterically hindered compound containing a group 15 or 16 atom.

12. A process for preparing a polymer, the process comprising contacting at least one olefinic monomer with the catalyst according to claim 1 to polymerize the monomers.

13. A process for preparing a polymer, the process comprising contacting at least one olefinic monomer with the catalyst system according to claim 10 to polymerize the monomers.

14. The process according to claim 12 , wherein the at least one olefinic monomer comprises ethylene and at least a C 3 -C 12 -α-olefin.

15. The process according to claim 12 , wherein the at least one olefinic monomer comprises ethylene, at least one C 3-12 alpha olefin, and at least one non-conjugated diene.

16. The process according to claim 15 , wherein the at least one non-conjugated diene is a diene selected from the group consisting of 5-methylene-2-norbornene, 5-ethylidene-2-norbornene, 5-vinylnorbornene, 2,5-norbornadiene, dicyclopentadiene, and vinylcyclohexene.

17. The metal complex according to claim 1 , wherein;

L is t-butylisonitrile;

M is titanium;

n is or 2;

X is an allyl borate ligand derived from a dims with a borane of the general formula BQ 1 Q 2 Q 3 wherein B is borane, and Q 1 , Q 2 , and Q 3 are individually a halogen atom, hydrocarbon group, halogenated hydrocarbon group, substituted silyl group, alkoxy group or di-substituted amino group, and they may be the same or different; and

Sub1 is a phenyl or substituted phenyl residue and Sub2 is an amino radical of the formula —NR 4 R 5 with R 4 and R 5 being individually selected from the group of aliphatic hydrocarbyl, halogenated aliphatic hydrocarbyl, aromatic hydrocarbyl, halogenated aromatic hydrocarbonyl residues, and one of R 4 or R 5 optionally forms a heterocyclic structure with the other of R 4 or R 5 , or with Sub1.

18. The metal complex according to claim 1 , wherein the borane is selected from the group consisting of tris(pentafluorophenyl)borane, tris(2,3,5,6-tetrafluorophenyl)borane, tris(2,3,4,5-tetrafluorophenyl)borane, tris(3,4,5-trifluorophenyl)borane, tris(2,3,4-trifluoro-phenyl)-borane, phenylbis(pentafluorophenyl)borane, and tris(pentafluoro-phenyl)-borane (B(C 6 F 5 ) 3 ).