Methods of preparing a catalyst utilizing hydrated reagents

1. A pre-catalyst composition comprising:

a) a silica support comprising silica wherein an amount of silica is in a range of from about 70 wt. % to about 95 wt. % based upon a total weight of the silica support;

b) a chromium-containing compound wherein an amount of chromium is in a range of from about 0.1 wt. % to about 5 wt. % based upon the amount of silica;

c) a titanium-containing compound wherein an amount of titanium is in a range of from about 0.1 wt. % to about 20 wt. % based upon the amount of silica;

d) a carboxylic acid wherein an equivalent molar ratio of titanium-containing compound to carboxylic acid is in a range of from about 1:1 to about 1:10; and

e) a nitrogen-containing compound with a molecular formula containing at least one nitrogen atom wherein an equivalent molar ratio of titanium-containing compound to nitrogen-containing compound is in a range of from about 1:0.5 to about 1:10.

2. The pre-catalyst composition of claim 1 wherein the carboxylic acid comprises a C 1 to C 15 monocarboxylic acid, a C 1 to C 15 dicarboxylic acid, a C 1 to C 15 tricarboxylic acid, a C 1 to C 15 α-hydroxycarboxylic acid, or a combination thereof.

3. The pre-catalyst composition of claim 1 wherein the carboxylic acid comprises acetic acid, citric acid, glycolic acid, oxalic acid, phosphonoacetic acid, or a combination thereof.

4. The pre-catalyst composition of claim 1 wherein the nitrogen-containing compound comprises an alkanolamine, an amide, an amine, an alkylamine, an ammonium hydroxide, an aniline, a hydroxylamine, a urea, or a combination thereof.

5. The pre-catalyst composition of claim 1 wherein the nitrogen-containing compound comprises acetamide, acryl amide, allyl amine, ammonia, ammonium hydroxide, butyl amine, tert-butyl amine, N,N′-dibutyl urea, creatine, creatinine, diethanol amine, diethylhydroxy amine, diisopropanol amine, dimethylaminoethanol, dimethyl carbamate, dimethyl formamide, dimethyl glycine, dimethylisopropanol amine, N,N′-dimethyl urea, ethanol amine, ethyl amine, glycol amine, hexyl amine, hydroxyamine, imidazole, isopropanol amine, methacryl amide, methyl amine, N-methyl aniline, N-methyl-2-propanol amine, methyldiethanol amine, methyl formamide, propyl amine, 2-propanol amine, pyrazole, pyrrolidine, pyrrolidinone, succinimide, tetraethylammonium hydroxide, tetramethylammonium hydroxide, triethanol amine, triisopropanol amine, trimethyl amine, urea, 1,8-diazabicyclo[5.4.0]undec-7-ene, or a combination thereof.

6. The pre-catalyst composition of claim 1 wherein the silica support further comprises alumina.

7. The pre-catalyst composition of claim 1 wherein the silica support is characterized by a surface area of from about 100 m 2 /gram to about 1000 m 2 /gram and a pore volume of from about 1.0 cm 3 /gram to about 2.5 cm 3 /gram.

8. The pre-catalyst composition of claim 1 wherein the silica support comprises a hydrated silica support.

9. The pre-catalyst composition of claim 1 wherein the silica support comprises from about 1 wt. % to about 20 wt. % water based upon a total weight of the silica support.

10. A pre-catalyst composition comprising:

a) a silica support comprising silica wherein an amount of silica is in a range of from about 70 wt. % to about 95 wt. % based upon a total weight of the silica support;

b) a chromium-containing compound wherein an amount of chromium is in a range of from about 0.1 wt. % to about 5 wt. % based upon the amount of silica; and

c) a titano-organic salt, wherein the titano-organic salt comprises titanium, a protonated nitrogen-containing compound and a carboxylate, and wherein:

i) an amount of titanium is in a range of from about 0.1 wt. % to about 20 wt. % based upon the amount of silica;

ii) an equivalent molar ratio of titanium to carboxylate is in a range of from about 1:1 to about 1:10; and

iii) an equivalent molar ratio of titanium to protonated nitrogen-containing compound is in a range of from about 1:0.5 to about 1:10.

11. The pre-catalyst composition of claim 10 wherein the protonated nitrogen-containing compound comprises a protonated alkanolamine, a protonated amide, a protonated amine, a protonated alkylamine, a protonated ammonium hydroxide, a protonated aniline, a protonated hydroxylamine, a protonated urea, or a combination thereof.

12. The pre-catalyst composition of claim 10 wherein the protonated nitrogen-containing compound comprises protonated acetamide, protonated acryl amide, protonated allyl amine, ammonium, protonated ammonium hydroxide, protonated butyl amine, protonated tert-butyl amine, protonated N,N′-dibutyl urea, protonated creatine, protonated creatinine, protonated diethanol amine, protonated diethylhydroxy amine, protonated diisopropanol amine, protonated dimethylaminoethanol, protonated dimethyl carbamate, protonated dimethyl formamide, protonated dimethyl glycine, protonated dimethylisopropanol amine, protonated N,N′-dimethyl urea, protonated ethanol amine, protonated ethyl amine, protonated glycol amine, protonated hexyl amine, protonated hydroxyamine, protonated imidazole, protonated isopropanol amine, protonated methacryl amide, protonated methyl amine, protonated N-methyl aniline, protonated N-methyl-2-propanol amine, protonated methyldiethanol amine, protonated methyl formamide, protonated propyl amine, protonated 2-propanol amine, protonated pyrazole, protonated pyrrolidine, protonated pyrrolidinone, protonated succinimide, protonated tetraethylammonium hydroxide, protonated tetramethylammonium hydroxide, protonated triethanol amine, protonated triisopropanol amine, protonated trimethyl amine, protonated urea, protonated 1,8-diazabicyclo[5.4.0]undec-7-ene, or a combination thereof.

13. The pre-catalyst composition of claim 10 wherein the carboxylate comprises a C 1 to C 15 monocarboxylate, a C 1 to C 15 dicarboxylate, a C 1 to C 15 tricarboxylate, a C 1 to C 15 α-hydroxycarboxylate, or a combination thereof.

14. The pre-catalyst composition of claim 10 wherein the carboxylate comprises acetate, citrate, glycolate, oxalate, phosphonoacetate, or a combination thereof.

15. The pre-catalyst composition of claim 10 wherein the silica support further comprises alumina.

16. The pre-catalyst composition of claim 10 wherein the silica support is characterized by a surface area of from about 100 m 2 /gram to about 1000 m 2 /gram and a pore volume of from about 1.0 cm 3 /gram to about 2.5 cm 3 /gram.

17. The pre-catalyst composition of claim 10 wherein the silica support comprises a hydrated silica support.

18. The pre-catalyst composition of claim 10 wherein the silica support comprises from about 1 wt. % to about 20 wt. % water based upon a total weight of the silica support.

19. A pre-catalyst composition comprising:

a) a silica support comprising silica wherein an amount of silica is in a range of from about 70 wt. % to about 95 wt. % based upon a total weight of the silica support;

b) a chromium-containing compound wherein an amount of chromium is in a range of from about 0.1 wt. % to about 5 wt. % based upon the amount of silica;

c) a titanium-containing compound wherein an amount of titanium is in a range of from about 0.01 wt. % to about 0.1 wt. % based upon the amount of silica;

d) a carboxylic acid wherein an equivalent molar ratio of titanium-containing compound to carboxylic acid is in a range of from about 1:1 to about 1:10; and

e) a nitrogen-containing compound with a molecular formula containing at least one nitrogen atom wherein an equivalent molar ratio of titanium-containing compound to nitrogen-containing compound is in a range of from about 1:0.5 to about 1:10.

20. A pre-catalyst composition prepared by a method comprising:

a) contacting a solvent and a carboxylic acid to form an acidic mixture wherein a weight ratio of solvent to carboxylic acid in the acidic mixture is from about 1:1 to about 100:1;

b) contacting a titanium-containing compound and the acidic mixture to form an acidic titanium mixture wherein an equivalent molar ratio of titanium-containing compound to carboxylic acid in the acidic titanium mixture is from about 1:1 to about 1:4;

c) contacting a nitrogen-containing compound and the acidic titanium mixture to form a solubilized titanium mixture wherein an equivalent molar ratio of titanium-containing compound to nitrogen-containing compound in the solubilized titanium mixture is from about 1:1 to about 1:4 and a pH of the solubilized titanium mixture is less than about 5.5; and

d) contacting a chromium-silica support comprising from about 0.1 wt. % to about 20 wt. % water and the solubilized titanium mixture to form an addition product and drying the addition product by heating to a temperature in a range of from about 50° C. to about 150° C. and maintaining the temperature in the range of from about 50° C. to about 150° C. for a time period of from about 30 minutes to about 6 hours to form the pre-catalyst.