Finely Tuned α,α′-Bis(arylimino)-2,3:5,6-bis(pentamethylene)pyridine-Based Practical Iron Precatalysts for Targeting Highly Linear and Narrow Dispersive Polyethylene Waxes with Vinyl Ends

One-pot template construction of α,α′-bis(arylimino)-2,3:5,6-bis(pentamethylene)pyridyl iron chlorides achieved by reacting α,α′-dioxo-2,3:5,6-bis(pentamethylene)pyridine and the corresponding anilines along with the respective iron chloride in acetic acid provided yields of 26–76%. All these complexes were characterized by FT-IR, elemental analysis, 1H NMR, and X-ray diffraction analysis. Distorted-square-pyramidal geometries are observed in the molecular structures of Fe1 and Fe6, respectively. When MAO or MMAO is used as a cocatalyst, Fe1–Fe5 display a high activity of 107 g with highly linear, low-molecular-weight, and narrow-polydispersity polyethylenes (PEs) being obtained by ethylene polymerization. The catalytic activity of Fe1 reached a maximum activity ((3.81–3.93) × 107 g of PE (mol of Fe)−1 h–1) by using the cocatalyst MAO or MMAO at Al/Fe ratio of 5000. All of the synthesized iron precatalysts Fe1–Fe8 containing sterically ortho benzhydryl and aryl (2,4,6-substituents of the aryl ring) groups...