Metalorganic Catalysts for Synthesis and Polymerization

Book excerpt: 45 years after the discovery of transition metals and organometallics as cocatalysts for the polymerization of olefins and for organic synthesis, these compounds have not lost their fascination. The birthday of Karl Ziegler, the great pioneer in this metalorganic catalysis, is now 100 years ago. Polyolefins and polydienes produced by Ziegler-Natta catalysis are the most important plastics and elastomers. New impulses for the polymerization of olefins have been brought about by highly active metallocenes and other single site catalysts. Just by changing the ligands of the organometallic compounds, the structure of the polymers produced can be tailored in a wide manner. In invited lectures and posters, relevant aspects of the metalorganic catalysts for synthesis and polymerization are discussed in this book. This includes mechanism and kinetics, stereochemistry, material properties, and industrial applications.