Single site silica supported tetramethyl niobium by the SOMC strategy: synthesis, characterization and structure-activity relationship in the ethylene oligomerization reaction

• A silica supported tetramethyl niobium complex [( SiO) NbMe4] 2 has been isolated by the surface alkylation of [( SiO-) NbCl3Me] 1 with dimethyl zinc in pentane. 1 can be easily synthesized by grafting NbCl3Me2 onto the surface of partially dehydroxylated silica by the SOMC strategy. Precise structural analysis was carried out using FTIR, advanced solid state NMR, elemental analysis and mass balance techniques (gas quantification after treating 2 with degassed water). Complex 1 was found to be active in the ethylene oligomerization reaction, producing up to C30, whereas to our surprise complex 2 selectively dimerized ethylene into 1-butene in the absence of a co-catalyst at the same conversion level.

Subject headings

NATURVETENSKAP  -- Kemi (hsv//swe)

NATURAL SCIENCES  -- Chemical Sciences (hsv//eng)

Keyword

surface organometallic chemistry

alkane metathesis

complexes

tantalum

catalyst

trimerization

elimination

mechanism

efficient

Chemistry

Publication and Content Type

ref (subject category)

art (subject category)