Synthesis and characterization of the catalytic isotactic-specific metallocene complex (eta(5)-C5H3C4H9-CMe(2)-eta(5)-C13H8)ZrCl2 - Mechanistic aspects of the formation of isotactic polypropylene, the stereoregulative effect of the distal substituent and the relevance of C-2 symmetry

The reaction of ZrCl4 with the dilithium salt of 2-(tertiarybutyl-3-cyclopentadienyl)-2-(fluorenyl)propane in pentane leads to the formation of the complex (eta(5)-C5H3C4H9-CMe(2)-eta(5)-C13H8)ZrCl2. The complex is fully characterized by single crystal X-ray diffraction and different NMR methods, When activated with methylaluminoxane or other appropriate ionizing agents the title complex catalyzes the stereospecific polymerization of propylene to isotactic polypropylene.