Abstract

The combined systems diphenylzinc-metallocene-methylaluminoxane (Ph2Zn-Met-MAO) have proved able to induce styrene polymerization, producing polystyrene with a variable content of stereoregular polymer. The tacticity of the obtained polymer is strongly dependent on the nature of the metallocene and on its molar ratio toward diphenylzinc (Met/Ph2Zn). The stereoregular polymer was syndiotactic according to its crystalline melting temperature Tm, 13C NMR spectrum, and insolubility in boiling butanone. © 1999 Society of Chemical Industry.