Adsorption species of ethyl benzoate (EB) on the (104) and (110) MgCl2 surfaces have been studied within DFT. As a result, monodentate and bidentate complexes of EB were obtained on both the MgCl2 surfaces. The bidentate structures on the (104) MgCl2 surface proved to be stabilized by the decreased distance between neighboring adsorption sites (surface Mg cations). The different affinity of EB for the five- and four-coordinated Mg cations predicted was suggested to be the cause of changing the equilibrium shape of MgCl2 crystals upon growing in the presence of EB: EB chemisorption seems to stabilize the (110) MgCl2 surface to a greater degree as compared to the (104) MgCl2 surface. The influence of EB coordination mode on active site stereoselectivity is discussed.
All types of chemical reactions (reduction, alkylation, and complexation of Ti species by organoaluminum compounds) leading to formation of active sites in heterogeneous Ziegler−Natta catalysts have been studied within density functional theory. A generally accepted mechanism of active site formation was found to be less preferable as compared to the alternative ways considered. Based on the calculation implemented, a whole active site formation scenario was postulated for the different active center precursors on the MgCl2 surface. The mechanism proposed allows us to rationalize the domination of Ti3+ over Ti2+ under reduction of Ti4+ surface species by AlR3, the absence of an electron spin resonance signal for the TiCl4/MgCl2 + AlR3 system with low Ti content, the stronger reduction ability of Al(i-Bu)3 than AlEt3, the deactivation effect of AlR2Cl, and the reactivation ability of AlR3.
A systematic consideration of different Ti(IV) and Ti(III) species on the (104) and (110) MgCl 2 surfaces has been implemented within DFT using cyclic boundary conditions. Some new mononuclear and dinuclear surface complexes of Ti(IV) and Ti(III) were obtained due to implication of zip coordination mode. A possible spin state of dinuclear Ti(III) species was thoroughly studied: antiferromagnetic (ESR silent) state proved to be the most preferable in a number of cases. The zip antiferromagnetic Ti 2 Cl 6 complexes residing on the dominant (104) MgCl 2 surface make it possible to rationalize the fact that the most part of Ti(III) incorporated in activated MgCl 2 is ESR silent. Besides, these species produce aspecific active sites, thus explaining that aspecific centers significantly prevail over stereospecific one according to kinetic data on the simplest TiCl 4 /MgCl 2 þ AlR 3 system.
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