The development of catalysts has significantly advanced the progress of polyolefin materials. In particular, group 4 (Ti, Zr, Hf) non-metallocene catalysts ligated with [N,N] bidentate ligand(s) have garnered increasing attention in the field of olefin polymerization due to their structurally stability and exceptional polymerization behaviors. Ligands containing nitrogen donors are diverse and at the core of many highly active catalysts. They mainly include amidine, guanidinato, diamine, and various N-heterocyclic ligands, which can be used to obtain a series of new polyolefin materials, such as ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene (UHWMPE), olefin copolymers (ethylene/norbornene and ethylene/α-olefin) with high incorporations, and high isotactic or syndiotactic polypropylene after coordination with group 4 metals and activation by cocatalysts. Herein, we focus on the advancements and applications of this field over the past two decades, and introduce the catalyst precursors with [N,N] ligand(s), involving the effects of ligand structure, cocatalyst selection, and polymerization conditions on the catalytic activity and polymer properties.
Keywords: [N,N] bidentate ligand; catalytic activity; non-metallocene; olefin polymerization.