High resolution magic angle spinning (HR-MAS) 1H NMR investigation of the active surfaces of MgCl2-supported Ziegler-Natta catalysts. The MgCl2 matrix

"Classical" MgCl2-supported Ziegler-Natta catalysts (ZNCs) continue to dominate the industrial prodn. of isotactic polypropylene. There is a growing awareness of the inherent competitive edge of these low-cost systems over single-center (primarily metallocene) catalysts and of the potential for further improvement, particularly if deeper insight into the structure of the catalytic surfaces and the mechanisms of their modification by electron donors can be achieved. In the framework of a project ultimately aiming at the implementation of ZNCs with known and controlled surface structures, the authors are revisiting this whole area by using a combination of advanced computational (periodic DFT) and spectroscopic (high-resoln. magic-angle-spinning 1H NMR spectroscopy) tools. In this article, the authors report on the neat MgCl2 matrix and on model MgCl2/electron-donor adducts.