The synthesis of four new bidentate ligands, 2-(3,4-diphenylcyclopentadienyl)-6-phenylphenol ((DCPP)H
2,
7), 2-(3,4-diphenylcyclopentadienyl)-6-
tert-butylphenol ((DCBP)H
2,
8), 2-(3,4-diphenylcyclopentadienyl)-4, 6-di-
tert-butylphenol (DCDBP)H
2,
9), and 2-(3,4-diphenylcyclopentadienyl)-6-methylphenol ((DCMP)H
2,
10), as well as their corresponding constrainedgeometry cyclopentadienyl-phenoxytitanium dichlorides ((DCPP)TiCl
2 (
11), (DCBP)TiCl
2 (
12),(DCDBP)TiCl
2 (
13), and (DCMP)TiCl
2 (
14)), are described. Complexes
11-
14 were synthesized from the reaction of TiCl
4 with the corresponding dilithio salt of the ligand. Molecularstructures of
11 and
12 were determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction studies. TheCp(cent)-Ti-O angles of 107.4
![](/images/entities/deg.gif)
for
11 and 106.7
![](/images/entities/deg.gif)
for
12 reveal their sterically open featuresas catalyst precursors. When activated with
iBu
3Al and Ph
3C
+B(C
6F
5)
4-, complexes
11-
14exhibit reasonable catalytic activity for ethylene polymerization, producing polyethyleneswith moderate molecular weights and melt transition temperatures. Compounds
12 and
13show good catalytic activity for copolymerization of ethylene with 1-hexene.