Role of Homogeneous Catalysis in Oligomerization of Olefins : Focus on Selected Examples Based on Group 4 to Group 10 Transition Metal Complexes

Pierre-Alain Breuil (1) , Lionel Magna (1) , Hélène Olivier-Bourbigou (1)

1 IFPEN - IFP Energies nouvelles

Homogeneous olefin oligomerization plays a pivotai role in the field of petrochemistry. Through catalysts, technology and process developments, market requirements in terms of productivity, selectivity and sustainability have been addressed. Over more than 50 years, an intensive research has been devoted to the design of new Group 4 to Group 10 transition metal complexes and to the study of their reactivity towards olefins leading to severa! breakthroughs of prime importance for academy as for industry. Since the early sixties, IFPEN contributed to bring innovative industrial solutions to different targets from gasoline production to alpha-olefin on purpose processes with over 100 production units built worldwide . Based on nickel, titanium, zirconium or chromium, the catalytic systems for such processes and their next generation are subject to a continuous research where the adaptation of the ligand architecture to the nature of the metal and its mode of activation, play a crucial role to control the reaction selectivity and the catalyst lifetime. lnteresting relationships between the complex structure and their reactivity have been drawn and will be discussed on selected examples.

Mots clés: Olefins; Petrochemistry; Homogeneous catalysis; Oligomerization

Domaines: Chimie; Catalyse

Pierre-Alain Breuil, Lionel Magna, Hélène Olivier-Bourbigou. Role of Homogeneous Catalysis in Oligomerization of Olefins : Focus on Selected Examples Based on Group 4 to Group 10 Transition Metal Complexes. Catalysis Letters, 2015, 145, pp.173 - 192. ⟨10.1007/s10562-014-1451-x⟩. ⟨hal-01119632⟩