Electron donor for polyolefin polymerization catalysts and uses thereof

A polyolefin catalyst comprising an aluminum alkyl, a metal component, and an electron donor of Formula I:

• wherein:
• A and B are each independently selected from a group consisting of a 5-membered aromatic, a 5-membered heteroaromatic, a 6-membered aromatic, and a 6-membered heteroaromatic;
• the dashed lines together are either present or non-existent with the proviso that m is nonexistent when the dashed lines are non-existent;
• m and n are each independently non-existent, optionally substituted alkylene, optionally substituted alkenylene, or optionally substituted alkynylene, or A, B, m, and n together form a bridged aromatic system;
• a and b are each independently selected from a group consisting of 0, 1, 2, and 3;
• X and Y are each independently a moiety selected from a group consisting of —CH2—O—, —O—, —S—, —SO—, —SO2—, —OS(═O)2O—, —OS(═O)O—, —S(═O)O—, —NR6—, —SO2NR7—, —NR7SO2—, —OP(═O)(OR8)O—, —OP(═O)(H)O—, —OP(OH)O—, —(C═O)—O—, —O—(C═O)—, —(C═O)—, —Si(═O)—, —Si(R8)2—, —Ge(═O)—, and —Ge(R8)2—;
• each occurrence of R1 and R2 is independently selected from the group consisting of halogen, hydroxy, optionally substituted alkyl, optionally substituted alkoxy, optionally substituted alkenyl, optionally substituted alkynyl, aralkyl, (heterocyclo)alkyl, (heteroaryl)alkyl, (amino)alkyl, (alkylamino)alkyl, (dialkylamino)alkyl, (carboxamido)alkyl, (cyano)alkyl, alkoxyalkyl, hydroxyalkyl, heteroalkyl, optionally substituted cycloalkyl, optionally substituted cycloalkoxy, optionally substituted aryl, optionally substituted heterocyclo, and optionally substituted heteroaryl;
• or any two adjacent occurrences of R1 and R2 together with the atom to which they are attached form a 3- to 8-membered optionally substituted cycloalkyl, a 3- to 8-membered heterocyclo, a 3- to 8-membered optionally substituted aromatic, or a 3- to 8-membered heteroaromatic;
• R3 and R4 are each independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, halogen, hydroxy, optionally substituted alkyl, optionally substituted alkenyl, cycloalkenyl, optionally substituted cycloalkenyl, optionally substituted alkynyl, aralkyl, (heterocyclo)alkyl, (heteroaryl)alkyl, (amino)alkyl, (alkylamino)alkyl, (dialkylamino)alkyl, (carboxamido)alkyl, (cyano)alkyl, alkoxyalkyl, hydroxyalkyl, heteroalkyl, optionally substituted cycloalkyl, optionally substituted aryl, optionally substituted heterocyclo, and optionally substituted heteroaryl;
• R6 and R7 are each independently selected from a group consisting of hydrogen and alkyl;
• and
• R8 is selected from a group consisting of hydrogen, halogen, alkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, aryl, carbonyl, alkoxyl, and optionally substituted forms thereof.