Three vanadocene-cocatalyst catalytic systems for ethylene polymerization-C
p2ZrCl2/Al2Et3Cl3 [dichlorobis(eta -cyclopentadienyl)vanadium/ethylaluminum
sesquichloride], Cp(2)ZrCl(2)MAO [dichlorobis(eta -cyclopentadienyl)vanadiu
m/methylaluminoxane] and Cp2ZrCl2AlEt3 [dichlorobis(eta -cyclopentadienyl)v
anadium/triethylaluminum]-were monitored by electron spin resonance (ESR) s
pectroscopy. It was found that at least a certain kind of vanadium complex
is formed after mixing dichlorobis(eta -cyclopentadienyl)vanadium with ethy
laluminumsesquichloride. After introducing ethylene, a new kind of vanadium
complex is detected by ESR. Ethylene can be polymerized by using a dichlor
obis(eta -cyclopentadienyl)vanadium/ethylaluminumsesquichloride catalytic s
ystem. These results possibly indicate that the vanadium complex exists in
the forms ClCp2VClEtAlCl2 and ClCp2VClEtAlClEt, which are responsible for f
orming active centers. The Dichlorobis(eta -cyclopentadienyl)vanadium and d
ichlorobis (eta -cyclopentadienyl)vanadium/triethylaluminum systems also we
re monitored by ESR. Completely different spectra were recorded compared to
those of the dichlorobis(eta -cyclopentadienyl) vanadium/ethylaluminumsesq
uichloride system. Ethylene almost cannot he polymerized by the dichlorobis
(eta -cyclopentadienyl)vanadium/methylaluminoxane and dichlorobis(eta -cycl
opentadienyl)vanadium/triethylaluminum catalytic systems, showing that resu
ltant vanadium complexes of dichlorobis(eta -cydopentadienyl)vanadium/methy
laluminoxane and dichlorobis(eta -cyclopentadienyl)vanadium/triethylaluminu
m catalytic systems are different from that arising from the dichlorobis(et
a -cyclopentadienyl)vanadium/ethylaluminesquichloride system. Plausible mec
hanisms are suggested for this. (C) 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.