Some studies on styrene polymerization using new systems prepared from coordination metal compounds ReBr(CO)3(3,3′-dimethyl-2,2′-biquinoline)-diphenylzinc with and without MAO systems

Abstract.

The monovalent rhenium compounds ReBr(CO)₃(3,3′-dimethyl-2,2′-biquinoline) (I) and ReBr(CO)₅ (II) could be used as catalysts in styrene polymerization after activation with diphenylzinc (Ph₂Zn) and methylaluminoxane (MAO). The catalytic activity shown by the I-Ph₂Zn-MAO system was dependent on the molar ratio between the components and the temperature of polymerization. Non stereoregular polystyrene (PS) was obtained under all experimental conditions. The resulting PS gave multimodal GPC traces suggesting the presence of different species capable of polymerizing styrene, possibly species resulting from MAO alone, I-Ph₂Zn and I-Ph₂Zn-MAO systems.