Long-bridged salen catalyst

A catalyst system comprising:

• an activator and a catalyst compound represented by the formula:
• wherein N1 and N2 are nitrogen and O1 and O2 are oxygen and comprising [O1,N1,N2]—[N1,N2,O2] in a fac-mer arrangement, or a mer-fac arrangement or a fac-fac arrangement, or wherein activation of the catalyst compound rearranges [O1,N1,N2]—[N1,N2,O2] into a fac-mer arrangement, or a mer-fac arrangement or a fac-fac arrangement;
• wherein each solid line represents a covalent bond and each dashed line represents a bond having varying degrees of covalency and a varying degree of coordination;
• wherein M is a Group 4, 5 or 6 transition metal;
• wherein each of X1 and X2 is, independently, a univalent C1 to C20 hydrocarbyl radical, a functional group comprising elements from Groups 13-17 of the periodic table of the elements, or X1 and X2 join together to form a C4 to C62 cyclic or polycyclic ring structure;
• wherein Y comprises an sp3 carbon directly bonded to N2 and is selected from the group consisting of divalent C1 to C40 hydrocarbyl radicals, divalent functional groups comprising elements from Groups 13-17 of the periodic table of the elements, and combinations thereof;
• wherein each of R1, R2, R3, R4, R5, R6, R7, R8, R9, R10, R11, and R12 is, independently, a hydrogen, a C1-C40 hydrocarbyl radical, a functional group comprising elements from Group 13-17 of the periodic table of the elements, or two or more of R1 to R12 may independently join together to form a C4 to C62 cyclic or polycyclic ring structure.

A process to activate a catalyst system, comprising combining an activator with a catalyst compound represented by the formula:

• wherein N1 and N2 are nitrogen and O1 and O2 are oxygen and comprising [O1,N1,N2]—[N1,N2,O2] in a fac-mer arrangement or a mer-fac arrangement or a fac-fac arrangement, or wherein activation rearranges [O1,N1,N2]—[N1,N2,O2] into a fac-mer arrangement or a mer-fac arrangement or a fac-fac arrangement;
• wherein M is a Group 4, 5 or 6 transition metal;
• wherein each of X1 and X2 is, independently, a univalent C1 to C20 hydrocarbyl radical, a functional group comprising elements from Groups 13-17 of the periodic table of the elements, or X1 and X2 join together to form a C4 to C62 cyclic or polycyclic ring structure;
• wherein Y comprises an sp3 carbon directly bonded to N2 and is selected from the group consisting of divalent C1 to C40 hydrocarbyl radicals, divalent functional groups comprising elements from Groups 13-17 of the periodic table of the elements, and combinations thereof;
• and
• wherein each of R1, R2, R3, R4, R5, R6, R7, R8, R9, R10, R11, and R12 is, independently, a hydrogen, a C1-C40 to hydrocarbyl radical, a functional group comprising elements from Group 13-17 of the periodic table of the elements, or two or more of R1 to R12 may independently join together to form a C4 to C62 cyclic or polycyclic ring structure.

A process to polymerize olefins comprising:

• contacting one or more olefins with a catalyst system at polymerization conditions to produce a polyolefin, the catalyst system comprising an activator and a catalyst compound represented by the formula:
• wherein M is a Group 4, 5 or 6 transition metal;
• wherein N1 and N2 are nitrogen and O1 and O2 are oxygen;
• wherein each of X1 and X2 is, independently, a univalent C1 to C20 hydrocarbyl radical, a functional group comprising elements from Groups 13-17 of the periodic table of the elements, or X1 and X2 join together to form a C4 to C62 cyclic or polycyclic ring structure;
• wherein Y comprises an sp3 carbon directly bonded to N2 and is selected from the group consisting of divalent C1 to C40 hydrocarbyl radicals, divalent functional groups comprising elements from Groups 13-17 of the periodic table of the elements, and combinations thereof;
• and
• wherein each of R1, R2, R3, R4, R5, R6, R7, R8, R9, R10, R11, and R12 is, independently, a hydrogen, a C1-C40 to hydrocarbyl radical, a functional group comprising elements from Group 13-17 of the periodic table of the elements, or two or more of R1 to R12 may independently join together to form a C4 to C62 cyclic or polycyclic ring structure.