Pyridyldiamide metal catalysts and processes to produce polyolefins

A process to produce polypropylene using a pyridyldiamide metal catalyst component, comprising combining propylene, and optionally ethylene or C4 to C12 olefins, with a catalyst component and activator, the catalyst component comprising (8):

• wherein:
• M is a Group 3, 4 or 5 metal;
• R1 and R11 are independently selected from the group consisting of hydrocarbyls, substituted hydrocarbyls, silyl, or substituted silyl groups;
• R2′ and R2″ are selected independently from hydrogen and C1 to C6 hydrocarbyls;
• R10 is -E(R12)(R13)—, with E being carbon, silicon, or germanium, and each R12 and R13 being independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, hydrocarbyls, substituted hydrocarbyls, alkoxy, silyl, amino, aryloxy, halogen, and phosphino, R12 and R13 may be joined to form a saturated, substituted or unsubstituted hydrocarbyl ring, where the ring has 4, 5, 6, or 7 ring carbon atoms and where substitutions on the ring can join to form additional rings, or R12 and R13 may be joined to form a saturated heterocyclic ring, or a saturated substituted heterocyclic ring where substitutions on the ring can join to form additional rings;
• R3, R4, and R5 are independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, hydrocarbyls, substituted hydrocarbyls, alkoxy, aryloxy, halogen, amino, and silyl, and wherein adjacent R groups (R3 and R4, and/or R4 and R5) may be joined to form a substituted or unsubstituted hydrocarbyl or heterocyclic ring, where the ring has 5, 6, 7, or 8 ring atoms and where substitutions on the ring can join to form additional rings;
• R6 is selected from C1 to C12 hydrocarbyls;
• R7, R8, and R9 are independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, hydrocarbyls, substituted hydrocarbyls, alkoxy, halogen, amino, and silyl, and wherein adjacent R groups (R6 and R7 and/or R8 and R9) may be joined to form a saturated, substituted or unsubstituted hydrocarbyl or heterocyclic ring, where the ring has 5, 6, 7, or 8 ring carbon atoms and where substitutions on the ring can join to form additional rings;
• L is an anionic leaving group, where the L groups may be the same or different and any two L groups may be linked to form a dianionic leaving group, and n is 0, 1, 2, 3, or 4;
• L′ is neutral Lewis base, and w is 0, 1, 2, 3, or 4;
• and
• wherein as the steric hindrance created in the R6 group, with respect to the R5 group, is increased, the peak melting point temperature of the polypropylene produced increases within a range of from 120° C. to 150° C.

A process to produce polypropylene using a pyridyldiamide metal catalyst component, comprising combining propylene, and optionally ethylene or C4 to C12 olefins, with a catalyst component and activator, the catalyst component comprising (8):

• wherein:
• M is a Group 3, 4 or 5 metal;
• R1 and R11 are independently selected from the group consisting of hydrocarbyls, substituted hydrocarbyls, silyl, or substituted silyl groups;
• R2′ and R2″ are selected independently from hydrogen and C1 to C6 hydrocarbyls;
• R10 is -E(R12)(R13)—, with E being carbon, silicon, or germanium, and each R12 and R13 being independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, hydrocarbyls, substituted hydrocarbyls, alkoxy, silyl, amino, aryloxy, halogen, and phosphino, R12 and R13 may be joined to form a saturated, substituted or unsubstituted hydrocarbyl ring, where the ring has 4, 5, 6, or 7 ring carbon atoms and where substitutions on the ring can join to form additional rings, or R12 and R13 may be joined to form a saturated heterocyclic ring, or a saturated substituted heterocyclic ring where substitutions on the ring can join to form additional rings;
• R3, R4, and R5 are independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, hydrocarbyls, substituted hydrocarbyls, alkoxy, aryloxy, halogen, amino, and silyl, and wherein adjacent R groups (R3 and R4, and/or R4 and R5) may be joined to form a substituted or unsubstituted hydrocarbyl or heterocyclic ring, where the ring has 5, 6, 7, or 8 ring atoms and where substitutions on the ring can join to form additional rings;
• R6 is selected from methyl, ethyl, propyl, isopropyl, butyl, sec-butyl, and tert-butyl;
• R7, R8, and R9 are independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, hydrocarbyls, substituted hydrocarbyls, alkoxy, halogen, amino, and silyl, and wherein adjacent R groups (R6 and R7 and/or R8 and R9) may be joined to form a saturated, substituted or unsubstituted hydrocarbyl or heterocyclic ring, where the ring has 5, 6, 7, or 8 ring carbon atoms and where substitutions on the ring can join to form additional rings;
• L is an anionic leaving group, where the L groups may be the same or different and any two L groups may be linked to form a dianionic leaving group, and n is 0, 1, 2, 3, or 4;
• L′ is neutral Lewis base, and w is 0, 1, 2, 3, or 4;
• and
• wherein as the steric hindrance created in the R6 group, with respect to the R5 group, is increased, the peak melting point temperature of the polypropylene produced increases within a range of from 120° C. to 150° C.