SBA-15 as a Support for Nickel-Based Catalysts for Polymerization Reactions

Two mesoporous SBA-15 materials with different morphologies (spherical and fiber-shaped) were synthesized and evaluated as supports for nickel-based catalysts for polymerization reactions. The supports were pretreated with trimethylaluminum (TMA), and the catalyst dibromo-bis(4-amino-2,3,5,6-tetramethylimino)acenaphthene nickel(II) was attached to the supports and activated with TMA or MAO (methylaluminoxane). Characterization showed that the insertion of cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTABr) as a cosurfactant led to spherical SBA-15 with a decrease in particle and pore sizes to 4.8 nm compar...