2-alkyl-4-(2,6-dialkylphenyl) indenes

[0002] This invention relates to 2-alkyl-4-(2,6-dialkylphenyl) indenes, to the synthesis of said indenes, and to metallocene compounds including olefin polymerization catalysts derived therefrom.

[0003] Unbridged and bridged substituted cyclopentadienyl and indenyl metallocene olefin polymerization catalysts are known. Particular substituted indenes useful as metallocene ligands have been synthesized by cross-coupling reactions. See J.Org.Chem. (1984) 99:4226-7 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,789,634.

[0004] One aspect of this invention provides 2-alkyl-4-(2,6-dialkylphenyl) indenes. Another aspect of the invention may comprise methods, including cross-coupling reactions, for the synthesis of such indenes.

[0005] A specific embodiment of the invention may comprise cross-coupling conversion of a 2-alkyl-4X indene (X=halogen or triflate) to a 2-alkyl-4-(2,6-dialkylphenyl)indene.

[0006] The invention may also comprise treating 2-alkyl-4-(2,6-dialkylphenyl) indene with a bridging reagent to provide a bridged compound useful as a metallocene ligand.

[0007] A specific aspect of the invention comprises conversion of the compounds to the corresponding bridged metallocenes. The invention also includes use of such bridged metallocenes per se or in conjunction with a cocatalyst, such as aluminoxane, as olefin polymerization catalysts and the olefin polymers so produced.

[0008] Cross-Coupling Reaction: Any reaction of an organometallic compound R—M with an organic compound R¹—X, wherein R and R¹are the same or different organic groups and X is a leaving group to give a product R—R¹. In the context of the invention, R¹—X is a 2-alkyl-4—X indene in which X is a halogen or triflate.

[0009] The 2-alkyl-4-(2,6-dialkylphenyl) indenes of this invention have the Formula I:

[0010] in which R¹, R², R³, R⁴, and R⁵are identical or different hydrocarbyl groups, preferably a C₁to C₆alkyl group or a C₆to C₁₀aryl (Ar), preferably phenyl, group which aryl group may be substituted at any available ring position preferably by a C₁to C₆alkyl group, and in which the symbol z,900 indicates a shift in the position of the double bond. Preferably, due to potential synthesis difficulties, only 1 of R¹to R⁴is aryl. No like constraint applies to R⁵.

[0011] 2-alkyl-4-phenyl indenes may be synthesized in known manner, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 5,789,634 (reaction of 2-alkyl-4-chloro indenes with aryl magnesium halides) and J.Org.Chem. (1984) 99:4226-7 (nickel catalyzed coupling of 4-bromo indene with phenyl Grignard) or by a cross-coupling reaction, illustrated by Equation 1, in which the R¹X reactant is 2-alkyl-4X indene, wherein X=halogen or triflate and the R—M reactant is

[0012] In Equation 1, R¹to R⁵and z,900 are as described, X is any halogen or triflate, and QY is an organometallic substituent in which Q is magnesium, boron, tin, silicon or zinc, and Y may be any X or a C₁to C₆trialkyl tin, a C₁to C₆trialkyl silicon or a phenyl boronic group or —ZnX.

[0013] The cross-coupling catalysts useful in the invention may comprise metal, preferably nickel or palladium, compounds having phosphine ligands. Typical cross-coupling catalysts include Ni(dppp)Cl₂(nickel diphenylphosphino propane dichloride), Ni(PPh₃)₂Cl₂, Pd(PPh₃)₄, X₂Pd(PPh₃)₂(X=halogen), Cl₂Pd(dppf) (dichloro palladium diphenylphosphino ferrocene) or combination of Pd(OAc)₂(palladium acetate) or Pd₂dba₃(in which dba is dibenzylidene acetone) with phosphine PR₃, PAr₃, or PR₂Ar where R is a C₁to C₆alkyl group and Ar is a C₆to C₁₀aryl group.

[0014] Useful solvents include ethers, typically diethyl ether, tetrahydrofuran, dioxane and dimethoxyethane or aromatic hydrocarbons, typically benzene, toluene or xylenes.

[0015] Preferred conditions, which may be determined in known manner for a specific cross-coupling reaction, are a function of steric hindrance, the specific solvents used, the presence of other reactants including other ligands, and the presence of bases or reducing agents.

[0016] The Formula I indene compound may be isolated from the cross-coupling reaction mixture in known manner or further processed in situ.

[0017] As shown by Equation 2, a bridged ligand of Formula II is produced by deprotonation of a Formula I indene with an alkali metal alkyl, followed by reaction of the metallide with an appropriate bridging reagent:

[0018] In Formula I, R¹to R⁵are as described and Z is a bridge or linking group. Bridging agents which may be used in the invention are described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,831,105, col. 3, 11. 30-62, which is incorporated herein and made a part of this specification by reference.

[0019] Specifically, for silyl bridging, the metal salt of the deprotonated Formula I indene may be treated with a dialkyldihalosilane, preferably dimethyldichlorosilane.

[0020] For hydrocarbon bridging, the Formula I indene may be treated with a dihaloalkane or with a dimethylfulvene derivative of a Formula I indene to yield the dimethyl-carbon bridged analog.

[0021] Formula II ligands may be converted to bridged metallocenes by any of the various methods known to the prior art, e.g., U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,017,714; 5,576,260 (Col. 9, 1. 14 et seq.); 5,616,747 and 5,831,105 and references cited therein. Equation 3 illustrates one such conversion:

[0022] In Equation 3, R¹to R⁵, X and Z are as described; M typically is a Group IVA metal, preferably Zr, Ti or Hf. Preferably the alkali metal alkyl is a butyl lithium.

[0023] The cocatalyst used with a Formula III metallocene is preferably an aluminoxane which may be of the Formula V for the linear type:

[0024] or Formula VI for the cyclic type:

[0025] In the Formulae V and VI, the radicals R¹⁴may be identical or different and are a C₁-C₆alkyl group, a C₆-C₁₈aryl group, benzyl or hydrogen, and p is an integer from 2 to 50, preferably from 10 to 35.

[0026] The radicals R¹⁴are preferably identical and are preferably methyl, isobutyl, phenyl or benzyl, particularly preferably methyl. If the radicals R¹⁴are different, they are preferably methyl and hydrogen or, alternatively, methyl and isobutyl, where hydrogen and isobutyl are preferably present to the extent of 0.1-40% (number of radicals R¹⁴).

[0027] The aluminoxane can be prepared in various ways by known processes. One of the methods is, for example, to react an aluminum hydrocarbon compound and/or a hydridoaluminum hydrocarbon compound with water (in gas, solid, liquid or bonded form; for example, as water or crystallization) in an inert solvent (such as, for example, toluene). In order to prepare an aluminoxane containing different alkyl groups R¹⁴two different trialkylaluminum compounds (AIR₃+AIR′₃) corresponding to the desired composition are reacted with water (cf., S. Pasynakiewicz, Polyhedron9:429 (1990) and EPA 302 424).

[0028] Regardless of the preparation method, all the aluminoxane solutions have in common a varying content of unreacted aluminum starting compound. The metallocene may be pre-activated by means of an aluminoxane of Formula V or VI before use in the polymerization reaction to significantly increase the polymerization activity and improves the grain morphology. The pre-activation of the metallocene compound is carried out in solution. The metallocene is preferably dissolved in a solution of the aluminoxane in an inert hydrocarbon. Suitable inert hydrocarbons are aliphatic and aromatic hydrocarbons. Toluene is preferred.

[0029] The concentration of the aluminoxane in the solution is in the range from about 1% by weight to the saturation limit, preferably from 5 to 30% by weight, in each case based on the solution as a whole. The metallocene can be employed in the same concentration, but is preferably employed in an amount of from 10⁻4 to 1 mol per mol of aluminoxane. The pre-activation time may be 5 minutes to 60 minutes. The reaction is carried out at a temperature of from −78C to 100C, preferably from 0C to 70C. The metallocene can also be pre-polymerized or applied to a support. Pre-polymerization is preferably carried out using an olefin to be polymerized. Examples of suitable supports are silica gels, aluminum oxides, solid aluminoxane or other inorganic support materials. Another suitable support material is a polyolefin powder in finely divided form.

[0030] According to the invention, compounds of the formulae R_xNH_4-xBR′₄,R_xPH_4-xBR′₄,R₃CBR′₄or BR′ can be used as suitable cocatalysts instead or in addition to an aluminoxane. In these formulae, x is a number from 1 to 4, preferably 3; the radicals R are identical or different, preferably identical, and are C₁-C₆alkyl, or C₆-C₁₈aryl or 2 radicals R, together with the atom connecting them, form a ring; and the radicals R′ are identical or different, preferably identical, and are C₆-C₁₈aryl, which may be substituted by alkyl, haloalkyl or fluorine. In particular, R is ethyl, propel, butyl or phenyl, and R′ is phenyl, pentafluorophenyl, 3,5-bistrifluoromethylphenyl, mesityl, xylol or tolyl. (See EPA 277 003, EPA 277 004 and EPA 426 638).

[0031] When the above-mentioned cocatalysts are used, the actual (active) polymerization catalyst comprises the product of the reaction of the metallocene and the involved co-catalyst. For this reason, this reaction product is preferably prepared first outside the polymerization reactor in a separate step using a suitable solvent. In principle, suitable cocatalysts are according to the invention any compounds which, due to their Lewis acidity, are able to convert the neutral metallocene into a cation and stabilize the latter (“labile coordination”). In addition, the cocatalyst or the anion formed therefrom should not undergo any further reactions with the metallocene cation formed.

[0032] In order to remove catalyst poisons present in the olefin, purification by means of an alkylaluminum compound, for example, AlMe₃or AlEt₃, is advantageous. The purification may be carried out in the polymerization system itself. Alternatively, the olefin may be brought into contact with the aluminous compound before addition to the polymerization system.

[0033] Olefin polymerization or copolymerization in the presence of a Formula III metallocene and a cocatalyst may be carried out in known manner in solution, in suspension or in the gas phase, continuously or batchwise, in one or more steps, at a temperature of from −60C to 200C, preferably from 30C to 80C. The polymerization or copolymerization is carried out using olefin of the formula R^a—CH═CH—R^b. In this formula, R^aand R^bare identical or different, and are a hydrogen atom or any alkyl radical preferably having 1 to 14 carbon atoms. However, R^aand R^b, together with the carbon atoms connecting them, may alternatively form a ring. Examples of such olefins are ethylene, propylene, 1-butene, 1-hexene, 4-methyl-1-pentene, 1-octene, norborene and norbonadiene. In particular, propylene and ethylene are polymerized.

[0034] Hydrogen may be added as molecular weight regulator to increase the activity. The overall pressure in the polymerization system is 0.5 to 100 bar. The polymerization is preferably carried out in the industrially relevant pressure range of from 5 to 64 bar.

[0035] The metallocenes of this invention may be used as polymerization catalysts in a concentration, based on the transition metal, of for 10⁻³to 10⁻⁸mol, preferably from 10⁻⁴to 10⁻⁷mol, of transition metal per dm³of solvent or per dm³of reactor volume. The aluminoxane may be used in a concentration of from 10⁻⁵to 10⁻¹mol. preferably from 10⁻⁴to 10⁻²mol, per dm³of solvent per dm³of reactor volume. The other cocatalysts mentioned may be used in approximately equimolar or greater amounts with respect to the metallocene.

[0036] If the polymerization is carried out as a suspension or solution polymerization, a conventional inert solvent is used. For example, the process may be carried out in an aliphatic or cycloaliphatic hydrocarbon, such as propane, butane, pentane, hexane, heptane, isoctaine, cyclohexane and methylcyclohexane. Alternatively, benzene, toluene or hydrogenated diesel oil fraction may be used as a solvent.

[0037] The polymerization is preferably carried out in the liquid monomer. If inert solvents are used, the monomers are metered in as gases or liquids.

[0038] The polymerization may have any desired duration. Specific examples of metallocenes which may be included in the invention are compounds having the formula I or formula II in which all R groups are methyl groups and in which Z is a dialkyl, silyl or —(CH₂)_n— (n=1-4).

[0039] Synthesis of 2-Methyl-4-(2,6-Dimethylphenyl)Indene

[0040] Reaction

[0041] Procedure

[0042] A flask is charged with palladium (II) acetate (18.5 mg, 0.08 mmol), 2-(dicyclohexylphosphino)-2′-methyl biphenyl (94 mg, 0.26 mmol), (2,6-dimethylphenyl) boronic acid (1.7 g, 11.3 mmol, freshly recrystallized from Et₂O/hexane) (synthesized according to literature, J.Am.Chem.Soc. (1960) 82:3053-3059), and potassium phosphate (3.1 g, 14.6 mmol). The flask is filled with nitrogen before addition of dry deoxygenated toluene (14 mL) and 2-methyl-4-chloroindene (1.3 g, 7.9 mmol) (synthesized according to U.S. Pat. No. 5,789,634) via syringe under nitrogen. The mixture was stirred at 100° C. for 20 hours under nitrogen. Analysis of an aliquot by GC/MS revealed a 66% yield of desired product and 33% of starting 2-methyl-4-chloroindene. The reaction was cooled to ambient temperature, diluted with diethyl ether and washed with aqueous saturated sodium bicarbonate. The organic phase was dried over sodium sulfate, filtered and evaporated in vacuo. The residue was purified by chromatography on silica gel eluted with hexane to afford 0.9 grams (49% isolated yield) of 2-methyl-4-(2,6-dimethylphenyl)indene as a pale yellow waxy solid, a 1:1 mixture of the two olefin isomers by proton NMR. Data: TLC Rf0.3 (hexane); observed M⁺ 234, calculated 234; ¹H NMR (250 MHz, CD₂Cl₂) 7.35-7.13 (m, 5H), 6.96 (d, 0.5H), 6.84 (d, 0.5H), 6.81 (dd, 0.5H), 5.99 (br t, 0.5 H), 3.39 (s, 1H), 2.89 (s, 1H), 2.09 (s, 3H), 1.97 (s, 6H).

[0043] This procedure uses 1 mol % Pd(OAc)2 and 3 mol % phosphine ligand, 1.4 equivalents of the boronic acid and 1.8 equivalents of potassium phosphate relative to chloroindene substrate.

[0044] A flask is charged with palladium (II) acetate (60.8 mg, 0.27 mmol), 2-(dicyclohexylphosphino)-biphenyl (321 mg, 0.9 mmol), (2,6-dimethylphenyl) boronic acid (1.0 g, 6.6 mmol), and potassium phosphate (2.3 g, 10.8 mmol). The flask is filled with nitrogen before addition of dry deoxygenated toluene (14.8 g) and 2-methyl-4-bromoindene (1.0 g, 4.7 mmol) (prepared in analogous fashion to 2-methyl-4-chloroindene) via syringe. The mixture was stirred at 87-95° C. for 20 hours under nitrogen. Analysis of an aliquot by GC/MS revealed a 67% yield of desired product and 32% of starting 2-methyl-4-bromoindene. Work up and purification as described in Example 1 provided a 55% yield of 2-methyl-4-(2,6-dimethylphenyl) indene as 1:1 mixture of two olefin isomers. MS observed 234.

[0045] When 2-methyl-4-chloroindene is reacted with 2,6-dimethylphenyl magnesium bromide in the presence of Ni(dppp)Cl₂as described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,789,634, GC/MS (gas chromatography/mass spectrometry) analysis shows that none of the 2-methyl-4-(2,6-dimethylphenyl) indene is produced.

[0046] To a solution of 2 grams of 2-methyl-4-(2,6-dimethylphenyl) indene from Example 1 in 10 grams of diethyl ether at −30° C. and −40° C. and allowed to warm to ambient temperature and stirred for four hours. It is cooled to −30° C. and treated with 0.5 eq of dimethyldichlorosilane, and allowed to warm slowly, and stirred overnight. The solution of the resulting dimethylsilyl bridged ligand (Formula II) is cooled to −30° C. and 2 equivalents of 1.6 M BuLi are added. The reaction is warmed to ambient temperature and stirred overnight. The reaction is re-cooled to −40° C. and quickly 1 equivalent of solid ZrCl₄is added. The reaction is allowed to warm to ambient temperature and stirred overnight. Remove bulk of ether by evaporation under reduced pressure. The solids are filtered and washed with hexane. The filter cake is slurried in dry dichloromethane and filtered through a pad of Celite. The pad and solids are extracted with dichloromethane. The dichloromethane is evaporated under reduced pressure, and the solids are crystallized using toluene to isolate the solid Formula III metallocene.