The Role of Metallacycles in the Chromium-Catalyzed Trimerization of Ethylene

Abstract

η5-Cyclopentadienyl-stabilized metallacyclopentane and -cycloheptane derivatives of chromium have been isolated, and their chemical behavior lends support to a metallacyclic mechanism for the Cr-catalyzed selective trimerization of ethylene to 1-hexene. In the presence of MAO, the amino-substituted cyclopentadienyl−chromium derivatives show a remarkable activity for the catalytic polymerization of ethylene.