The synthesis of highly branched low molecular weight products — potential synthetic lubricants — directly from ethylene is challenging when highly efficient early transition metal catalysts are employed. Now, an alkane soluble co-catalyst permits the synthesis of such polyethylenes using a zirconium catalyst in a saturated hydrocarbon solvent, where competitive solvent coordination at the active site of the catalyst is relatively unimportant.
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Kempe, R. The co-catalyst is the key. Nat Catal 2, 184–185 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41929-019-0251-5
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41929-019-0251-5
