Crosslinked metallocene compound for olefin polymerization and method of polymerizing olefin with the same

A bridged metallocene compound represented by the formula [I]:

• wherein Y is a carbon, silicon, germanium or tin atom;
• M is Ti, Zr or Hf;
• R1 to R12, which may be the same or different, are each hydrogen, a hydrocarbon group or a silicon-containing group;
• neighboring substituents of R5 to R12 may be linked with each other to form a ring;
• either or both of R13 and R14 is represented by R15R16CH—, in which R15 and R16 are each hydrogen, a hydrocarbon group or a silicon-containing group;
• and when one of R13 and R14 is not as defined above, then R13 or R14 is a hydrocarbon group or a silicon-containing group and may be linked with each other to form a ring (when R5 to R12 are all hydrogen or when R6 and R11 are both hydrocarbon groups, R13 and R14 are hydrocarbon groups other than phenyl, methyl and polymethylene groups, and when R7 and R10 are both hydrocarbon groups, R13 and R14 are hydrocarbon groups other than phenyl and methyl groups);
• Q is a halogen, a hydrocarbon group, an anionic ligand or a neutral ligand capable of coordination by a lone pair of electrons, and may be the same or different when plural;
• and j is an integer from 1 to 4.

A bridged metallocene compound represented by the formula [I]:

• wherein Y is a carbon atom;
• M is Ti, Zr or Hf;
• R1 to R12, which may be the same or different, are each hydrogen, a hydrocarbon group or a silicon-containing group;
• neighboring substituents of R5 to R12 may be linked with each other to form a ring;
• R13 and R14 are linked with each other to form a polymethylene group represented by —CH2(CH2)n—, in which n is an integer from 1 to 10;
• and R7 and R10 are hydrocarbon groups of 1 to 20 carbon atoms;
• Q is a halogen, a hydrocarbon group, an anionic ligand or a neutral ligand capable of coordination by a lone pair of electrons, and may be the same or different when plural;
• and j is an integer from 1 to 4.

A bridged metallocene compound represented by the formula [I]:

• wherein Y is a carbon, silicon, germanium or tin atom;
• M is Ti, Zr or Hf;
• R1 to R12, which may be the same or different, are each hydrogen, a hydrocarbon group or a silicon-containing group, wherein arbitrary three or more substituents of R5 to R12 are hydrocarbon groups of 1 to 20 carbon atoms or silicon-containing groups;
• R13 and R14, which may be the same or different, are each a hydrocarbon group or a silicon-containing group and may be linked with each other to form a ring (when R6 and R11 are both hydrocarbon groups, R13 and R14 are hydrocarbon groups other than phenyl, methyl and polymethylene groups and when R7 and R10 are both hydrocarbon groups, R13 and R14 are hydrocarbon groups other than phenyl and methyl groups);
• Q is a halogen, a hydrocarbon group, an anionic ligand or a neutral ligand capable of coordination by a lone pair of electrons, and may be the same or different when plural;
• and j is an integer from 1 to 4.

A bridged metallocene compound represented by the formula [I]:

• wherein Y is a silicon, germanium or tin atom;
• M is Ti, Zr or Hf;
• R1 to R12, which may be the same or different, are each hydrogen, a hydrocarbon group or a silicon-containing group, wherein R5 to R12 are not hydrogen at the same time;
• neighboring substituents of R5 to R12 may be linked with each other to form a ring;
• R13 and R14, which may be the same or different, are each a hydrocarbon group or a silicon-containing group and may be linked with each other to form a ring (when R6 and R11 are both hydrocarbon groups, R13 and R14 are hydrocarbon groups other than phenyl, methyl and polymethylene groups;
• when R7 and R10 are both hydrocarbon groups, R13 and R14 are hydrocarbon groups other than phenyl and methyl groups;
• and where R6 and R11 are not t-butyl groups when R13 and R14 are methyl or phenyl groups);
• Q is a halogen, a hydrocarbon group, an anionic ligand or a neutral ligand capable of coordination by a lone pair of electrons, and may be the same or different when plural;
• and j is an integer from 1 to 4.

A method for olefin polymerization, in which one or more monomers, essentially ethylene, selected from ethylene and α-olefins are polymerized in the presence of an olefin polymerization catalyst which comprises a bridged metallocene compound of the formula [I′] so that an ethylene based polymer with an ethylene content of more than 50 mol % is obtained:

• wherein Y is a carbon, silicon, germanium or tin atom;
• M is Ti, Zr or Hf;
• R1 to R12, which may be the same or different, are each hydrogen, a hydrocarbon group or a silicon-containing group;
• R5 to R12 are not hydrogen at the same time;
• neighboring substituents of R5 R12 may be linked with each other to form a ring;
• R13 and R14, which may be the same or different, are each a hydrocarbon group or a silicon-containing group and may be linked with each other to form a ring;
• Q is a halogen, a hydrocarbon group, an anionic ligand or a neutral ligand capable of coordination by a lone pair of electrons, and may be the same or different when plural;
• and j is an integer from 1 to 4.