Metallocene Complex and Polymerization Catalyst Composition Containing the Same

A metallocene complex represented by the following general formula (II),

• where
• M represents a lanthanoid element, scandium, or yttrium;
• CpR independently represents an unsubstituted or substituted indenyl group;
• X′ represents a hydrogen atom, a halogen atom, an alkoxide group, a thiolate group, an amide group, a silyl group, or a hydrocarbon group having 1 to 20 carbon atoms;
• L represents a neutral Lewis base;
• and
• w represents an integer of 0 to 3.

A half metallocene cation complex represented by the following general formula (III),

• where
• M represents a lanthanoid element, scandium, or yttrium;
• CpR′ represents an unsubstituted or substituted cyclopentadienyl, indenyl, or fluorenyl group;
• X represents a hydrogen atom, a halogen atom, an alkoxide group, a thiolate group, an amide group, a silyl group, or a hydrocarbon group having 1 to 20 carbon atoms;
• L represents a neutral Lewis base;
• w represents an integer of 0 to 3;
• and
• [B]− represents a non-coordinating anion.

A polymerization catalyst composition, comprising at least one kind of complex selected from the group consisting of (i) a metallocene complex represented by the following general formula (I),

• where
• M represents a lanthanoid element, scandium, or yttrium;
• CpR independently represents an unsubstituted or substituted indenyl group,
• Ra to Rf independently represents hydrogen or an alkyl group having 1 to 3 carbon atoms;
• L represents a neutral Lewis base;
• and
• w represents an integer of 0 to 3,
• (ii) a metallocene complex represented by the following general formula (II),
• where
• M represents a lanthanoid element, scandium, or yttrium;
• CpR independently represents an unsubstituted or substituted indenyl group,
• X′ represents a hydrogen atom, a halogen atom, an alkoxide group, a thiolate group, an amide group, a silyl group, or a hydrocarbon group having 1 to 20 carbon atoms,
• L represents a neutral Lewis base, and
• w represents an integer of 0 to 3,
• (iii) a half metallocene cation complex represented by the following general formula (III),
• where
• M represents a lanthanoid element, scandium, or yttrium:
• CpR′ represents an unsubstituted or substituted cyclopentadienyl, indenyl, or fluorenyl group;
• X represents a hydrogen atom, a halogen atom, an alkoxide group, a thiolate group, an amide group, a silyl group, or a hydrocarbon group having 1 to 20 carbon atoms:
• L represents a neutral Lewis base;
• w represents an integer of 0 to 3;
• and
• [B]− represents a non-coordinating anion and (iv) the half metallocene cation complex above, wherein CpR′ represents an unsubstituted or substituted indenyl group.

A method for producing a half metallocene cation complex represented by the following general formula (III), comprising subjecting a compound represented by the following general formula (IV) to a reaction with an ionic compound represented by the general formula [A]+[B]−

• where
• M represents a lanthanoid element, scandium, or yttrium;
• CpR′ independently represents an unsubstituted or substituted cyclopentadienyl, indenyl, or fluorenyl group;
• X represents a hydrogen atom, a halogen atom, an alkoxide group, a thiolate group, an amide group, a silyl group, or a hydrocarbon group having 1 to 20 carbon atoms;
• L represents a neutral Lewis base;
• w represents an integer of 0 to 3;
• [A]+ represents a cation;
• and
• [B]− represents a non-coordinating anion.