A novel lanthanocene catalyst system for the polymerization of methyl methacrylate Me2Si(CpSiMe3)2NdCl-n-BuMgCl

• Published in: Journal of applied polymer science Vol. 79; no. 12; pp. 2245 - 2250
• Main Authors: Sun, Junquan, Pan, Zhida, Yang, Shilin
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York John Wiley & Sons, Inc 21.03.2001; Wiley
• Subjects: Applied sciences; Exact sciences and technology; Grignard reagent; lanthanocene catalyst; methyl methacrylate; Organic polymers; Physicochemistry of polymers; Polymerization; Preparation, kinetics, thermodynamics, mechanism and catalysts; Bulk polymerization; Methyl methacrylate polymer; Magnesium Organic compounds; Complex catalyst polymerization; Complex catalyst; Experimental study; Metallocene; Optimization; Solution polymerization; Neodymium Complexes; Grignard reagent; Cocatalyst; Lanthanide Complexes; Catalyst activity
• ISSN: 0021-8995; 1097-4628
• DOI: 10.1002/1097-4628(20010321)79:12<2245::AID-APP1031>3.0.CO;2-S

Me2Si(CpSiMe3)2NdCl activated by n‐BuMgCl at low molar ratio (1 : 1.2) was successfully used to polymerize methyl methacrylate (MMA) for the first time. Grignard reagent indicated better co‐catalytic properties than alkyl aluminum. Effects of the catalyst concentration, polymerization time, temperature, and solvents were studied in bulk and solution polymerization respectively. The results showed that this catalyst system was very active for MMA polymerization in toluene at 40°C, producing PMMA with high molecular weight (53.5 × 104) and high conversion (100%). © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 79: 2245–2250, 2001