Enhanced properties of polyethylene through in situ polymerization with siloxene-supported vanadium-based catalysts

Two-dimensional (2D) inorganic fillers can significantly improve the properties of polyolefins and broaden their application areas. In this study, high-performance polyethylene (PE)/siloxene nanocomposites were prepared by in situ polymerization using layered siloxene-supported vanadium (V)-based catalysts. The siloxene-supported V-based catalysts have highly dispersed active sites and excellent catalytic performance for ethylene polymerization compared to VOCl₃ catalysts. The catalytic activity of the siloxene-supported V-based catalysts for the polymerization of ethylene was significantly better than that of the VOCl₃ catalysts at the same catalyst feed. During in situ polymerization, the layered siloxene fillers exhibited uniform dispersion in the PE matrix. Moreover, the addition of a very small amount (1.12 wt%) of siloxene filler significantly improved the thermal stability and mechanical performance of PE. Therefore, this study presents an effective method to fabricate PE with excellent properties.