A broadly tunable synthesis of linear α-olefins

Andreas Gollwitzer, Thomas Dietel, Winfried P. Kretschmer and Rhett Kempe ()
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Andreas Gollwitzer: Universitätsstr. 30, Universität Bayreuth
Thomas Dietel: Universitätsstr. 30, Universität Bayreuth
Winfried P. Kretschmer: Universitätsstr. 30, Universität Bayreuth
Rhett Kempe: Universitätsstr. 30, Universität Bayreuth

Nature Communications, 2017, vol. 8, issue 1, 1-6

Abstract: Abstract The catalytic synthesis of linear α-olefins from ethylene is a technologically highly important reaction. A synthesis concept allowing the formation of selective products and various linear α-olefin product distributions with one catalyst system is highly desirable. Here, we describe a trimetallic catalyst system (Y–Al–Ni) consisting of a rare earth metal polymerization catalyst which can mediate coordinative chain transfer to triethylaluminum combined with a simultaneously operating nickel β-hydride elimination/transfer catalyst. This nickel catalyst displaces the grown alkyl chains forming linear α-olefins and recycles the aluminum-based chain transfer agent. With one catalyst system, we can synthesize product spectra ranging from selective 1-butene formation to α-olefin distributions centered at 850 gmol−1 with a low polydispersity. The key to this highly flexible linear α-olefin synthesis is the easy tuning of the rates of the Y and Ni catalysis independently of each other. The reaction is substoichiometric or formally catalytic regarding the chain transfer agent.

Date: 2017
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-017-01507-2

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