Synthesis of 4-phenylbutyl-branched polyethylene from an ethylene-styrene feed by a half-titanocene catalyst

Copolymerization of ethylene and styrene with the catalytic system Cp*TiMe3 -B(C6F5)(3) under suitable conditions affords a new polymer having a polyet hylenic backbone with 4-phenyl-1-butyl branches as the main product. This u nexpected result has been ascribed to the multi-site nature of the catalyti c system, containing a species able to co-oligomerize ethylene and styrene to 6-phenyl-1-hexene (which was actually identified in the polymerization m ixture), and another species able to copolymerize the latter with ethylene.