Polymerisation of acrylonitrile with di(organoimido)chromium(vi) complexes

Abstract

[(ButN)2Cr(CH2Ph)2 ] 1 and [(NCMe2CH2CH2CMe2N)Cr- (CH2Ph)2] 2 are robust single-component catalysts for the polymerisation of acrylonitrile, which afford high-molecular-weight PAN and also allow acrylonitrile–methyl methacrylate copolymerisation; owing to its strained seven-membered chelate ring, 2 exhibits exceptionally small imido bond angles.