Synthesis of acrylamide/olefin copolymers by a diimine nickel catalyst

Abstract

Nickel precursor [bis(N,N ′-dimesitylimino)acenaphthene]dibromonickel ((MesBIAN)NiBr2, 1) and MAO were used to catalyse the copolymerisation of acrylamide (AA) and ethylene (E) by passivating AA with triisobutylaluminium (TIBA), trimethylaluminium (TMA) or Et2AlCl (DEAC). The activity with TIBA is as high as 1.04×106 g/(mol Ni·[E]·h). Acrylamide-ethylene copolymerisation activity of 2.5×105 g/(mol Ni·[E]·h) was achieved using MgBu2/Et2AlCl as cocatalyst for 1 in the absence of MAO. Acrylamide was also terpolymerised with ethylene and propylene.