Living Olefin Polymerisation and Block Copolymer Synthesis in the Presence of a Single-site Catalyst Containing a Phenoxyimine Ligand

A new phenoxyimine catalyst (Bis‐(N‐(3′,5′‐diiodo‐salicylidene)‐2,6‐difluoroaniline)‐titanium(IV)‐dichloride) has been synthesised and characterised. After activation with MAO, it was used as highly active catalyst in living olefin polymerisation of ethylene and propylene. Ultra‐high molecular weight polyethylene and atactic polypropylene of low polydispersity were obtained. The living character of the polymerisation was shown by on‐line polymerisation kinetics and linear growth of number‐average molar mass with polymerisation time. A block copolymer of the type PE‐block‐P(E‐co‐P) was prepared and characterised by CRYSTAF analysis and AFM micrographs.