EXAFS ANALYSIS OF A CHIRAL ALKENE POLYMERIZATION CATALYST INCORPORATED IN THE MESOPOROUS SILICATE MCM-41

The chiral metallocene rac-ethylenebis(1-indenyl)zirconium dichloride, when immobilised on the surface of methylalumoxane-modified mesoporou s silica MCM-41, is an effective catalyst for the production of highly isotactic polypropene with a unique spherulite morphology; Zr K-edge EXAFS studies of the organometallic-inorganic composite reveal not onl y an intact indenyl ligand framework after the immobilisation, but als o the presence of a short Zr-C bond and the absence of the chloride li gands.