HIGHLY ACTIVE CATALYSTS FOR ALKYLENE OXIDE POLYMERIZATION

摘要

The reaction product of the reaction product of A.) a ligand of the formula (I), wherein R<SUP>1</SUP>, R<SUP>2</SUP>, R<SUP>3</SUP>, and R<SUP>4</SUP> in each occurrence independently are the same or different hydrocarbyl substituents of 1 to 20 carbon atoms, hydrogen, halogen, or alkoxy groups of 1 to 8 carbon atoms; X in each occurrence independently is CR<SUP>6</SUP> with R<SUP>6</SUP> being hydrogen or an alkyl group of 1 to 8 carbon atoms; and R<SUP>5</SUP> is an organic divalent group of 4 to 40 carbon atoms with the proviso that the two nodes X are not bound to the same atom or to vicinal atoms in the group R<SUP>5</SUP>; B.) an aluminum compound of the formula A1R<SUP>7</SUP>R<SUP>8</SUP>R<SUP>9</SUP>, wherein R<SUP>7</SUP>, R<SUP>8</SUP> and R<SUP>9</SUP> each independently is a C<SUB>1</SUB> to C<SUB>12</SUB> hydrocarbyl group, hydrogen, halogen, or an alkoxy group of 1 to 20 carbon atoms; and C.) a Lewis base selected from the group consisting of amines, phosphines, amides, nitriles, isonitriles, and alcohols is useful as a polymerization catalyst, particularly for the homopolymerization or copolymerization of an alkylene oxide.