Phosphoramidate catalysts for ethylene-based interpolymers

A catalyst system comprising a metal-ligand complex according to formula (I):

• where:
• M is titanium, zirconium, or hafnium, the metal being in a formal oxidation state of +2, +3, or +4;
• n is 0, 1, 2, or 3;
• m is 1 or 2;
• the metal-ligand complex has 6 or fewer metal-ligand bonds and is overall charge-neutral;
• each R1 and each R2 is independently selected from group consisting of (C1-C40)hydrocarbyl, (C1-C40)heterohydrocarbyl, (C1-C40)aryl, (C1-C40)heteroaryl, halogen, and —H, and R1 and R2 are optionally covalently linked to each other;
• when m is 1, each X is a monodentate or bidentate ligand independently selected from the group consisting of (C1-C40)hydrocarbyl, (C1-C40)hydrocarbylene, (C6-C20)aryl, (C5-C20)heteroaryl, cyclopentadienyl, and a substituted cyclopentadienyl, and R3 is selected from (C1-C40)hydrocarbyl, (C5-C20)heteroaryl, (C6-C40)aryl, (C5-C40)heteroaryl, unsubstituted (C1-C40)alkyl, and a halogenated phenyl radical and is optionally covalently linked to R2, provided that when any X is substituted or unsubstituted cyclopentadienyl, R3 is selected from the group consisting of (C6-C40)aryl substituted with at least one Rs and (C5-C40)heteroaryl substituted with at least one Rs, where Rs is selected from the group consisting of (C1-C40)hydrocarbyl and (C1-C40)heterohydrocarbyl;
• and;
• when m is 2, each X is a monodentate or bidentate ligand independently selected from the group consisting of (C1-C40)hydrocarbyl, (C1-C40)hydrocarbylene, (C6-C20)aryl, (C5-C20)heteroaryl, and a substituted or unsubstituted cyclopentadienyl, and each R3 is independently selected from (C1-C40)hydrocarbyl, (C5-C20)heteroaryl, (C6-C40)aryl, (C5-C40)heteroaryl, unsubstituted (C1-C40)alkyl, and a halogenated phenyl radical, provided that when no X is a substituted or unsubstituted cyclopentadienyl, R3 is selected from the group consisting of a (C6-C40)aryl substituted with at least one Rs and a (C5-C40)heteroaryl substituted with at least one Rs, where Rs is selected from the group consisting of (C1-C40)hydrocarbyl and (C1-C40)heterohydrocarbyl.