Tris(pentafluorophenyl)borane complexes and catalysts derived therefrom

A catalyst comprising (a) a neutral borane complex having the formula (C.sub.6 F.sub.5).sub.3 B.(XYH).sub.q and (b) a Group IVB organometallic compound having the formula (Cp).sub.p M(R.sup.4).sub.4-p wherein

• M is titanium, zirconium or hafnium;
• p is 1 or 2;
• q is 1 to 3;
• Y is a hydrogen atom, R.sup.1 --, (R.sup.2).sub.3 Si--, or (R.sup.3 ).sub.2 C.dbd.N--;
• Cp is a cyclopentadienyl ligand, wherein each carbon atom in the ligand may be, independently, substituted with a radical selected from the group consisting of hydrocarbyl radicals, hydrocarbyl-substituted metalloid radicals wherein the metalloid is selected from Group IVA of the hydrocarbyl and substituted-hydrocarbyl radicals contain 1 to 20 carbon atoms and further can include straight and branched alkyl groups, cyclic hydrocarbon groups, alkyl-substituted cyclic hydrocarbon groups, aromatic groups or alkyl-substituted aromatic groups;
• one or two pairs of adjacent hydrogen atoms of the cyclopentadienyl ligand may be substituted with one or two --(CH).sub.4 groups to form indenyl or fluorenyl radicals, respectively, or compounds in which one or two methylene rings having the general formula (CH.sub.2).sub.n wherein n is 3 to 6 in the cyclopentadienyl ligand;
• further, when p is 2 the cyclopentadienyl ligand may be combined into one bidentate ligand molecule by connecting the cyclopentadienyl ligands by an organic or organometalloid group;
• R.sup.1 is a hydrocarbyl group containing 1 to 500 carbon atoms, and may contain a divalent oxygen and further may be a halogen-containing hydrocarbyl group;
• R.sup.2 is independently a linear or branched alkyl group containing 1 to 25 carbon atoms, or a phenyl group, further R.sup.2 may contain a SiO-- group;
• R.sup.3 is independently a hydrocarbyl group containing 1 to 25 carbon atoms, R.sup.3 may be a hydrogen atom provided both R.sup.3 groups selected are not hydrogen atoms;
• and
• R.sup.4 is independently hydrogen or a hydrocarbyl or substituted-hydrocarbyl group containing from 1 to 20 carbon atoms and may be a straight or branched alkyl group, and if sufficiently large enough, a cyclic hydrocarbyl group, an alkyl-substituted cyclohydrocarbyl group, an aromatic group, an aromatic-substituted alkyl group, or an alkylsubstituted aromatic group and also include trisubstituted organometalloid groups of Group IVA elements wherein each hydrocarbyl group on the metalloid contains from 1 to 20 carbon atoms.

A catalyst comprising (a) a borane complex that is an acidic salt wherein the anion portion of the acidic salt has the formula (C.sub.6 F.sub.5).sub.3 B.XY.sup.- and (b) a Group IVB organometallic compound having the formula (Cp).sub.p M(R.sup.4).sub.4-p wherein

• M is titanium, zirconium or hafnium;
• p is 1 or 2;
• Y is a hydrogen atom, R.sup.1 --, (R.sup.2).sub.3 Si--, or (R.sup.3 ).sub.2 C.dbd.N--;
• Cp is a cyclopentadienyl ligand, wherein each carbon atom in the ligand may be, independently, substituted with a radical selected from the group consisting of hydrocarbyl radicals, hydrocarbyl-substituted metalloid radicals wherein the metalloid is selected from Group IVA of the periodic table of the elements, and wherein the hydrocarbyl and substituted-hydrocarbyl radicals contain 1 to 20 carbon atoms and further can include straight and branched alkyl groups, cyclic hydrocarbon groups, alkyl-substituted cyclic hydrocarbon groups, aromatic groups or alkyl-substituted aromatic groups;
• one or two pairs of adjacent hydrogen atoms of the cyclopentadienyl ligand may be substituted with one or two --(CH).sub.4 groups to form indenyl or fluorenyl radicals, respectively, or compounds in which one or two methylene rings having the general formula (CH.sub.2).sub.n wherein n is 3 to 6 in the cyclopentadienyl ligand;
• further, when p is 2 the cyclopentadienyl ligand may be combined into one bidentate ligand molecule by connecting the cyclopentadienyl ligands by an organic or organometalloid group;
• R.sup.1 is a hydrocarbyl group containing 1 to 500 carbon atoms, and may contain a divalent oxygen and further may be a halogen-containing hydrocarbyl group;
• R.sup.2 is independently a linear or branched alkyl group containing 1 to 25 carbon atoms, or a phenyl group, further R.sup.2 may contain a SiO-- group;
• R.sup.3 is independently a hydrocarbyl group containing 1 to 25 carbon atoms, R.sup.3 may be a hydrogen atom provided both R.sup.3 groups selected are not hydrogen atoms;
• and
• R.sup.4 is independently hydrogen or a hydrocarbyl or substituted-hydrocarbyl group containing from 1 to 20 carbon atoms and may be a straight or branched alkyl group, and if sufficiently large enough, a cyclic hydrocarbyl group, an alkyl-substituted cyclohydrocarbyl group, an aromatic group, an aromatic-substituted alkyl group, or an alkylsubstituted aromatic group and also include trisubstituted organometalloid groups of Group IVA elements wherein each hydrocarbyl group on the metalloid contains from 1 to 20 carbon atoms.