Abstract
Titanium, zirconium and vanadium complexes with N-allyl functionalized 1,2-bis(benzimidazolyl)benzene, 1,2-bis(benzimidazolyl)ethane, 1,1-bis(benzimidazolyl)methane, 2,2-bis(benzimidazolyl), 2,6-bis (benzimidazolyl)pyridine and 2-(benzimidazolyl)pyridine ligands were synthesized and characterized. After activation with methylaluminoxane (MAO) they were applied for catalytic ethylene polymerization. The performance of such homogeneous catalysts is unique: they have high activities (up to 3278 kg PE/mol cat h), they produce bimodal or multimodal resins with high molecular weights and they have the potential to produce their own support for heterogeneous polymerization reactions. Such catalysts combine all features for single-reactor bimodal polyethylene technology. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.