Synthesis of polymerization catalyst components

Abstract

The present invention provides a method of synthesizing fluorided metallocene catalyst components comprising contacting at least one fluoriding agent comprising fluorine with one or more alkylated metallocene catalyst components comprising one or more non-halogen leaving groups to produce a fluorided catalyst component; wherein from less than 3 equivalents of fluorine are contacted for every equivalent of leaving group. The method of the invention is exemplified by the following reaction which takes place in a non-coordinating diluent such as pentane: wherein one or both of the “Cp” rings may be substituted with an R group as described herein, and may be bridged. The reaction can be run at any desirable temperature, desirably between 10° C. and 35° C. The reaction product of the BF3 and dimethyl zirconocene is the fluorided zirconocene. The mole ratio of the BF3 fluoriding agent and the starting metallocene is less than 2:1 (fluoriding agent:metallocene) in one embodiment, and less than or equal to 1.6:1 in a particular embodiment, and less than or equal to 1.5:1 in a more particular embodiment, and less than or equal to 1.2:1 in yet a more particular embodiment.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.