Functional organic particles for catalyst supports

A polymeric support for use in association with a catalyst system comprising a co-catalyst of the formula R12AlO(R1AlO)mAlR12 wherein each R1 is independently selected from the group consisting of C1-20 hydrocarbyl radicals and m is from 3 to 50, and a catalyst of the formula:

• (L)n—M—(X)p
• wherein M is a transition metal;
• L is a monoanionic ligand independently selected from the group consisting of a cyclopentadienyl-type ligand, a bulky heteroatom ligand and a phosphinimine ligand;
• X is an activatable ligand;
• n may be 2 or 3;
• and p may be 1 or 2, provided that the sum of n+p equals the valence state of M, only one cyclopentadienyl type ligand may be present in the catalyst, and further provided that two L ligands may be bridged by a silyl radical or a C1-4 alkyl radical said support comprising the suspension or emulsion polymerization product of a feedstock substantially consisting of:
• (i) from 0 to 95 weight % of one or more C4-12 vinyl monomers;
• (ii) from 50 to 2 weight % of a crosslinking agent;
• and
• (iii) from 70 to 3 weight % of a functionalized monomer selected from the group consisting of C1-8 hydroxy esters of C3-6 ethylenically unsaturated carboxylic acids, and chloride derivatives thereof;
• the sum of the weight % of said monomers being 100 weight %, and having a particle size from 0.1 to 1000 microns, surface area of greater than 10 m2/g and a pore volume of at least 0.2 cc/g of support.