Patent ID: 7956140

Claim:
Process for the preparation of a polymer comprising at least one aliphatic or aromatic hydrocarbyl C 2-20 olefin in the presence of an ionic catalyst comprising an organometallic compound, an activator and optionally a scavenger, characterized in that the organometallic compound is a compound according to formula 1: where: M is a metal of group 3-13 or the lanthanide series, and p is the valency of the metal M; A represents a neutral or anionic spectator ligand whose valency v is 0, 1 or 2, and q is an integer denoting the number of spectator ligands A; Z is an optional bridging moiety, and n is the integer number of parallel bridging moieties Z; Y is an amidine-containing spectator ligand represented by formula 2: wherein the amidine-containing ligand is covalently bonded to the metal M via the imine nitrogen atom, Sub 1 is a substituent, which comprises a group 14 atom through which Sub 1 is bonded to the imine carbon atom, Sub 2 is a substituent, which comprises a heteroatom of group 15-16, through which Sub 2 is bonded to the imine carbon atom; r is an integer >0; L is an optional neutral Lewis basic ligand, and j is an integer denoting the number of neutral ligands L, and X is an anionic ligand that may be independently selected from the group consisting of hydride, halide, alkyl, silyl, germyl, aryl, amide, aryloxy, alkoxy, phosphide, sulfide, acyl, pseudo halides and a combination thereof.