Copolymerization of ethylene and methyl acrylate by palladium catalysts bearing IzQO ligands containing methoxyethyl ether moieties and salt effects for polymerization

Over the past two decades, intensive efforts have been devoted to the development of group-10 metal catalysts, especially nickel and palladium ligated by unsymmetric bidentate ligands aimed at the copolymerization of olefins with polar monomers. Here we synthesized a palladium complex bearing a methoxyethoxygroup and applied it to the copolymerization of ethylene and methyl acrylate. Higher incorporation of methyl acrylate was detected in the presence of lithium borate such as LiBArF4. The effect was limited to lithium, and the counteranion also affected the catalyst performance.