Role of Tridentate Schiff Base and Methoxyethylindenyl Derivatives of Lanthanocene Complexes for the Synthesis of High Molecular Weight Polymethyl Methacrylate (PMMA)

Authors: MUHAMMAD YOUSAF, AFTAB AHMAD CHATHA, ABDUL JABBAR, H. BADARUDDIN AHMAD, AMEER FAWAD ZAHOOR, MUHAMMAD KALEEM KHOSA, SYED SARWAR ALAM

Abstract: Different mixed ligand lanthanocene complexes along with Al(i-Bu)_3 are capable of synthesizing partially syndiotactic high molecular weight polymethylmethacrylate. The Schiff base derivative of mixed ligand lanthanocene complexes (1-4) showed better efficiency (Mv = 227 \times 10^3-354 \times 10^3) compared to the methoxyethylindenyl derivative of mixed ligand lanthanocene complexes (5-9) (Mv = 72 \times 10^3, 172 \times 10^3). The effects of the catalyst, temperature, catalyst/MMA molar ratio, and catalyst/Al(i-Bu)_3 molar ratio on the polymerization of MMA at 60 °C suggested that ligand size and radius of rare earth metals play an important role in determining the activity of the catalyst.

Keywords: Tridentate Schiff base, lanthanocene, methoxyethylindene lanthanocene, MMA, polymerization

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