A PYRIDINE DIALKOXIDE TITANIUM DICHLORIDE COMPLEX - SYNTHESIS AND MOLECULAR-STRUCTURE OF BIS(2,2-DIPHENYL-2-TRIMETHYLSILYLOXYETHYL)PYRIDINE

Reaction of 2,6-dimethylpyridine with 2 equivalents of LiBun followed by addition of 2 equivalents of benzophenone and the consecutive react ion with 2 equivalents of SiMe3Cl afforded the doubly functionalised b is(2,2-diphenyl-2-trimethylsilyloxyethyl)pyridine L. The structure of L has been determined by an X-ray diffraction study. Reaction of eithe r a doubly lithiated intermediate or the corresponding silylated ligan d L with TiCl4 afforded a pyridine dialkoxide titanium dichloride comp lex. A cationic alpha-olefin polymerization catalyst was generated fro m this complex with an excess of methylaluminoxane (MeAlO)(n). A compa rison of the catalytic activity with those of similar bis(alkoxide) co mplexes is presented.