Olefin polymerization activators

A process of polymerizing olefins, the process comprising contacting ethylene and a (C3-C40)alpha-olefin comonomer in the presence of a catalyst system to produce an ethylene-based polymer, the catalyst system comprising a procatalyst and an ionic metallic activator complex, the ionic metallic activator complex comprising an anion and a countercation, the anion having a structure according to formula (I):

• where:
• M is aluminum, boron, or gallium;
• n is 3 or 4;
• each R is independently selected from the group consisting of radicals having formula (II) and radicals having formula (III):
• each Y is independently carbon or silicon;
• each R11, R12, R13, R21, R22, R23, R24, and R25 is independently chosen from (C1-C40)alkyl, (C6-C40)aryl, —ORC, —SRC, —H, or —F, wherein when R is a radical according to formula (III), at least one of R21, R22, R23, R24, or R25 is a halogen-substituted (C1-C40)alkyl , a halogen-substituted (C6-C40)aryl, or —F;
• and
• provided that:
• when each R is a radical according to formula (II) and Y is carbon, at least one of R11, R12, or R13 is a halogen-substituted (C1-C40)alkyl , a halogen-substituted (C6-C40)aryl, or —F;
• and
• when M is aluminum and n is 4 and each R is a radical according to formula (II), and each Y is carbon:
• each R11, R12, and R13 of each R is a halogen-substituted (C1-C40)alkyl, a halogen-substituted (C6-C40)aryl, or —F;
• or
• at least one of R11, R12, or R13 is —H and a total number of halogen atoms in R11, R12, and R13 of each R is at least six;
• each X is a monodentate ligand independently chosen from halogen-substituted (C1-C20)alkyl, (C1-C20)alkyl, halogen-substituted (C6-C40)aryl, (C6-C40)aryl, triflate, or —S(O)3RC;
• optionally, two groups R in formula (I) are covalently connected;
• each RC is independently (C1-C30)hydrocarbyl or —H;
• wherein
• when n is 4, no more than one R is a radical having formula (III);
• and
• the countercation is +N(H)RN3, where each RN is chosen from (C1-C20)alkyl or (C6-C20)aryl, +C(C6H5)3;
• or +C(C6H4RC)3, where RC is (C1-C20)alkyl;
• the procatalyst is selected from the group consisting of Group IV metal-ligand complexes (Group IVB according to CAS or Group 4 according to IUPAC naming conventions.