5. Complex coordination catalysts

Question 1

What are the benefits of using hydrogen in Ziegler Natta reactions?

Answer 1

• Clean reaction
• No residues
• Cheap
• Leaves Hydride instead of R group on catalyst surface.
• It can also prevent the polymer from having a double bond at the end

Question 2

What are the 3 kinds of tacticity?

Answer 2

isotactic, syndiotactic and atactic.

Question 3

What can be said about stereoregular polymers?

Answer 3

syndiotactic polymers would be expected to be semicrystalline.

Question 4

Why will only coordination catalysts be effective for polymerizing propylene and higher 1-alkenes?

Answer 4

The radical formed by the small alkenes is so unstable that it will react back to the monomer instead of the polymer