α-Olefins are important starting materials for the production of plastics, pharmaceuticals, and fine and bulk chemicals. However, the selective synthesis of α-olefins from ethylene, a highly abundant and inexpensive feedstock, is restricted, and thus a broadly applicable selective α-olefin synthesis using ethylene is highly desirable. Here, we report the catalytic reaction of an α-olefin with two ethylene molecules. The first ethylene molecule forms a 4-ethyl branch and the second a new terminal carbon-carbon double bond (C2 elongation). The key to this reaction is the development of a highly active and stable molecular titanium catalyst that undergoes extremely fast β-hydride elimination and transfer.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.