A highly active Ni(II)-triadamantylphosphine catalyst for ultrahigh-molecular-weight polyethylene synthesis

Abstract

Ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene is a desirable commodity. Here the authors show that a tri-1-adamantylphosphine-nickel complex, when exposed to alkyl aluminium activators, polymerizes ethylene to ultrahigh-molecular-weight polyethylene with initial activities reaching 3.8 million turnovers/h at 10 °C.