Title: Novel polymerization and copolymerization of ethylene, styrene, and/or butadiene by new organolanthanide-based catalysts
Abstract: Abstract Replacement of one of the two C 5 Me 5 ligands in the samarocene (II) complex (C 5 Me 5 ) 2 Sm (THF) 2 with a monodentate anionic ligand (e. g. , OAr, SAr, or NR 1 R 2 ) gives a unique catalytic system, which can not only polymerize styrene and ethylene, but also copolymerize them into block styrene-ethylene copolymers under the presence of both monomers. On the other hand, addition of an appropriate cocatalyst such as MMAO or AlR 3 /[Ph 3 C][B (C 6 F 5 ) 4 ] to the samarocene complex (C 5 Me 5 ) 2 Sm (THF) 2 or (C 5 Me 5 ) 2 Sm (m-Me) 2 AlMe 2 affords a novel catalytic system for stereospecific 1,4-cis living polymerization of butadiene and copolymerization of butadiene with styrene.