Hydrocarbyl-modified methylaluminoxane cocatalysts for bis-phenylphenoxy metal-ligand complexes

A process of polymerizing olefin monomers, the process comprising reacting ethylene and optionally one or more olefin monomers in the presence of a catalyst system, wherein the catalyst system comprises:

• an activator;
• hydrocarbyl-modified methylaluminoxane having less than 25 mole percent trialkyl aluminum based on the total moles of aluminum, wherein trialkyl aluminum has a formula of A1RA1RB1RC1, wherein RA1, RB1, and RC1 are independently linear (C1-C40)alkyl, branched (C1-C40)alkyl, or (C1-C40)aryl;
• and one or more metal-ligand complexes comprising a metal-ligand complex according to formula (I):
• wherein:
• M is titanium, zirconium, hafnium, scandium, yttrium, or an element of the lanthanide series of the periodic table;
• n is 1,2, or 3;
• each X is a monodentate ligand independently chosen from unsaturated (C2-C50)hydrocarbon, unsaturated (C2-C50)heterohydrocarbon, (C1-C50)hydrocarbyl, (C6-C50)aryl, (C6-C50)heteroaryl, cyclopentadienyl, substituted cyclopentadienyl, (C4-C12)diene, halogen, —N(RN)2, and —N(RN)CORC, optionally, two X may be linked together;
• the metal-ligand complex is overall charge-neutral;
• each Z is independently chosen from —O—, —S—, —N(RN)—, or —P(RP)—;
• R1 and R16 are independently selected from the group consisting of —H, (C1-C40)hydrocarbyl, (C1-C40)heterohydrocarbyl, —Si(RC)3, —Ge(RC)3, P(RP)2, —N(RN)2, —ORC, —SRC, —NO2, —CN, —CF3, RCS(O)—, RCS(O)2—, —N═C(RC)2, RCC(O)O—, RCOC(O)—, RCC(O)N(RN)—, (RC)2NC(O)—, halogen, radicals having formula (II), radicals having formula (III), and radicals having formula (IV):
• wherein each of R31-35, R41-48, and R51-59 is independently chosen from —H, (C1-C40)hydrocarbyl, (C1-C40)heterohydrocarbyl, —Si(RC)3, —Ge(RC)3, —P(RP)2, —N(RN)2, —ORC, —SRC, —NO2, —CN, —CF3, RCS(O)—, RCS(O)2—, (RC)2C═N—, RCC(O)O—, RCOC(O)—, RCC(O)N(RN)—, (RC)2NC(O)—, or halogen;
• R2, R3, R4, R5, R6, R7, R8, R9, R10, R11, R12, R13, R14, and R15 are independently selected from —H, (C1-C40)hydrocarbyl, (C1-C40)heterohydrocarbyl, —Si(RC)3, —Ge(RC)3, —P(RP)2, —N(RN)2, —ORC, —SRC, —NO2, —CN, —CF3, RCS(O)—, RCS(O)2—, (RC)2C═N—, RCC(O)O—, RCOC(O)—, RCC(O)N(R)—, (RC)2NC(O)—, and halogen;
• L is (C1-C40)hydrocarbylene or (C2-C40)heterohydrocarbylene;
• and
• each RC, RP, and RN in formula (I) is independently a (C1-C30)hydrocarbyl, (C1-C30)heterohydrocarbyl, or —H;
• wherein the ratio of moles of aluminum in the hydrocarbyl-modified methylaluminoxane to moles of metal in the metal-ligand complex is less than 500.