Metal (III) complexes containing conjugated, non-aromatic anionic II-bound groups and addition polymerization catalysts therefrom

A metal complex corresponding to the formula:

• ##STR13## wherein:
• M is a Group 3, Group 4 or Lanthanide metal in the +3 formal oxidation state;
• L is a group containing a cyclic or noncyclic, non-aromatic, anionic, dienyl ligand group bound to M and Z, said L group containing up to 60 nonhydrogen atoms, and being selected from the group consisting of 2,4-dimethylpentadienyl-, 1,5-dimethylpentadienyl-, silyl substituted pentadienyl-, silyloxy substituted pentadienyl-, hydrocarbyloxy substituted pentadienyl-, cyclohexadienyl-, cyclosilahexadienyl-, cycloheptadienyl-, cyclooctadienyl-, diphenyl-.eta..sup.5 -methyl-, and di(1-cyclohexenyl)-.eta..sup.5 -methyl- groups, and inertly substituted derivatives of such cyclohexadienyl-, cyclosilahexadienyl-, cycloheptadienyl-, cyclooctadienyl-, diphenyl-.eta..sup.5 -methyl- and di(1-cyclohexenyl)-.eta..sup.5 -methyl- groups;
• Z is a moiety covalently bound to both L and Y, comprising boron, or a member of Group 14 of the Periodic Table of the Elements, said moiety having up to 60 non-hydrogen atoms;
• Y is a moiety comprising nitrogen, phosphorus, sulfur or oxygen through which Y is covalently bound to both Z and M, said moiety having up to 20 nonhydrogen atoms;
• X' independently each occurrence is a Lewis base containing up to nonhydrogen atoms;
• X is a monovalent anionic moiety having up to 20 non-hydrogen atoms, provided however that X is not an aromatic group that is .pi.-bonded to M and optionally X and one or more X' groups may be bonded together thereby forming a moiety that is both covalently bound to M and coordinated thereto by means of Lewis base functionality;
• and
• q is a number from 0 to 3.