The influence of the metal net charge of non-metallocene early transition metal catalyst on the ethylene polymerization activity

The net charges on central metals of a serial non-metallocene early transition metal catalysts (FI catalyst) with similar steric hindrance were caculated with MM-QEq (molecular mechmism-charge equilibration) method and associated with ethylene polymerization activities of these FI catalyts. It was found that the activity increased with the net charge on metal if ignoring the influence of the steric hindrance. In other words, introduction of strong and/or more electron-withdrawing groups onto the ligand of FI catalyst would enhance the activity of the catalyst. This conculsion gave a direction to designing new FI catalyst with higher activity.