Mono- and dinuclear zirconocene(IV) amide complexes for the catalytic dehydropolymerisation of phenylsilane

The dehydropolymerisation of phenyEsiEane is investigated using group 4 metallocene amide complexes as catalysts. The dinuclear zirconocene amide complex Cp2Zr(NMe2)(mu-Me3SiC3SiMe3)Zr(NMe2)Cp-2 (2) (Cp = 115-cyclopentadienyl) shows high activity in dehydrocoupling reactions, producing poEyphenyEsdanes with molecular weights ranging from 200 to 3000 g moL(-1) and linear-to-cyclic product ratios of up to 80 : 20. Likewise, different ratios of oligomers and polymers with different tacticities could be described. Ansa-zirconocene amide complexes possessing the ebthi (ebthi = 1,2-ethyEene-1,1'-bis(eta(5)-tetrahydroindenyl)) ligand systems were prepared and evaluated for catalytic dehydropolymerisation in comparison to the dinuclear catalyst system.