Diastereomerically-specific zirconium complexes of chiral salan ligands: isospecific polymerization of 1-hexene and 4-methyl-1-pentene and cyclopolymerization of 1,5-hexadiene.

Chiral Salan ligands were found to wrap in a highly diastereoselective manner around zirconium leading to C2-symmetric complexes of predetermined chirality at the metal. These complexes led to active polymerization of higher olefins, their activity and isospecific induction depending on the nature of the phenolate substituents.