The copolymerizations of ethylene with 10-undecen-1-ol have been investigated using vanadium precatalysts

bis(imino)pyrrolyl vanadium(III) complexes

1−3

2

5-C

4

H

2

N(CH=NR)

2

VCl

2

(THF)

2

[R = C

6

H

5

(

1

)

2

6-

i

Pr

2

C

6

H

3

(

2

)

C

6

F

5

(

3

)]

and the iminopyrrolyl and

β

-diketiminate ones for comparison. The polar monomer was pretreated by diethylaluminium chloride (present also as the cocatalyst) before the copolymerization. The monomer reactivity ratios were evaluated using the Fineman-Ross method. The ligand structure considerably influenced the catalytic activity and tolerance towards the polar monomer

the polar monomer incorporation and the molecular weights of the resultant copolymers. The bis(imino)pyrrolyl vanadium complexes exhibited promising catalytic performance for the copolymerization

and a high catalytic activity up to 3.84 kg/mmol

v

·h with a high comonomer incorporation of 14.0 mol% was achieved by complex

3

under mild conditions.