rac and meso Diastereomers of an Unsymmetric Zirconocene Dichloride Produce Polypropenes with Similar Tacticities and Molar Masses

The dual-site zirconocene dichlorides rac- and meso-SiMe₂(3-benzylindenyl)(indenyl)ZrCl₂ have been synthesized and used, after a methylaluminoxane activation, in propene polymerization. These diastereomers produce isotactic polypropenes with similar microstructures and molar masses under equivalent polymerization conditions.