Synthesis of nitrogen-functionalized polyolefins with metallocene/methylaluminoxane catalysts

Thirteen differently substituted long-chain amide- and amine-functional alk enes were synthesised and used as comonomers in zirconocene/methylaluminoxa ne-catalysed copolymerizations with ethylene and propylene. Characterizatio n of the prepared copolymers showed the formation of functionalized copolym ers with isolated comonomer units. The incorporation level of the comonomer s ranged from 0.24 to 1.3 mol % with ethylene and from 0.04 to 0.96 mol % w ith propylene. The molar masses of the copolymers were lower than those of the corresponding homopolymers. End group analysis of the copolymers by NMR suggested that the dominant chain termination mechanism was chain transfer to aluminium.