.alpha.-olefin/para-alkylstyrene copolymers

Abstract

Copolymers comprising poly(.alpha.-olefin) having at least few p-alkylstyrene (para-alkylstyrene) groups or/and p-alkylstyrene derivatives within the structure therein, said polymer having monomer units represented by the structural formula: ##STR1## in which R, R' and R' are, independently, either hydrogen, alkyl, or primary or secondary alkyls. Preferably, R is hydrogen and C.sub.1 to C.sub.10 linear and branched alkyl, and most preferably R is hydrogen, C.sub.1 and C.sub.2. R' and R' are hydrogen, C.sub.1 to C.sub.5 alkyl, or C.sub.1 to C.sub.5 primary or secondary alkyl, and most preferably R' and R' are hydrogen. F comprises a hydrogen or a functional group, such as --COOH, --OH, --NH.sub.2, --Cl, --Br, --M, --COOM (M=metals, e.g. Li, Na, K and Ca) etc., or a mixture of functional group and hydrogen. In the copolymer composition, the .alpha.-olefin mole % (m) is between about 5 and 99.9. Preferably, m is between 85 and 99.9, and most preferably m is between 95 and 99.9. The sum of m and n (mole % of p-alkylstyrene) is 100. The copolymer having a number average molecular weight (Mn) of at least about 1,000, and preferably at least about 10,000. The copolymers also preferably have a ratio of weight average molecular weight (Mw) to number average molecular weight, or Mw/Mn of less than about 8, more preferably less than about 4, most preferably less than about 2.5. Also disclosed are polymerization process, involving transition metal catalysts (especially metallocene compounds with constrained ligand geometry) for producing .alpha.-olefin/p-alkylstyrene copolymers, and subsequently derivatization processes for producing functionalized copolymers of .alpha.-olefin and p-alkylstyrene by the functionalization of benzylic protons in p-alkylstyrene units of copolymer.