Homogeneous catalysts for stereoregular olefin polymerization

A method of preparing a catalyst for use in polymerizing olefins, comprising the steps of:

• 1) combining in a polar solvent a cyclopentadienyl anion having a chiral substituent selected from the group consisting of menthyl, neomenthyl, or phenylmenthyl with a cyclopentadienyl compound having the substituent AR.sub.2 X where A comprises a Group 13, 14, 15, or 16 element of the Periodic Table, R is an alkyl group (C.sub.1 -C.sub.12) and X is a halogen;
• 2) mixing the product of Step 1 with a deprotonating agent in a nonpolar solvent;
• 3) mixing the product of Step 2 with MX.sub.4 in a polar solvent, where M=an element from Groups 3, 4, or 5 of the Periodic Table, and X is a halogen;
• and
• 4) separating a chiral catalytic complex from the reaction product of Step 3 by mixing with a nonpolar solvent and extracting from said nonpolar solvent.

A catalyst system for use in the polymerization and copolymerization of .alpha.-olefins, said system having a catalyst represented by the formula:

• (CpR*)A(Cp")MQ.sub.p
• where Cp and Cp" each represent cyclopentadienyl rings;
• R* represents an alkyl group (C=1-30) having a chiral substituent selected from the group consisting of menthyl, neomenthyl, and phenylmenthyl;
• A comprises a Group 13, 14, 15, or 16 element of the Periodic Table and acts as a structural bridge between the cyclopentadienyl rings;
• M is a Group 3, 4, or 5 metal of the Periodic Table;
• and Q is a hydrocarbyl radical, or halogen radical with 3.ltoreq.p.ltoreq.o.