A process is disclosed for the preparation of a poly(.alpha.-olefin)
polymer wherein the process comprises polymerizing at least one
.alpha.-olefin in the presence of hydrogen and a catalytically effective
amount of catalyst comprising the product obtained by combining a
metallocene catalyst with a cocatalyst, the metallocene catalyst being at
least one meso compound of general formula: ##STR00001## wherein:
A.sup.1 and A.sup.2 are independently selected from the group consisting
of mononuclear and polynuclear hydrocarbons; M.sup.1 is a metal from
group IVb, Vb, or VIb of the Periodic Table; R.sup.1 and R.sup.2 are
independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, C.sub.1
C.sub.10 alkyl, C.sub.1 C.sub.10-alkoxy, C.sub.6 C.sub.10 aryl, C.sub.6
C.sub.10 aryloxy, C.sub.2 C.sub.10 alkenyl, C.sub.7 C.sub.40 arylalkyl,
C.sub.7 C.sub.40 alkylaryl, C.sub.8 C.sub.40 arylalkenyl and halogen;
R.sup.7 is selected from the group consisting of: ##STR00002##
.dbd.BR.sup.11, .dbd.AlR.sup.11, --Ge--, --Sn--, --O--, --S--, .dbd.SO,
.dbd.SO.sub.2, .dbd.NR.sup.11, .dbd.CO, .dbd.PR.sup.11 and
.dbd.P(O)R.sup.11, where R.sup.11, R.sup.12, and R.sup.13 are
independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, halogen,
C.sub.1 C.sub.10 alkyl, C.sub.1 C.sub.10 fluoroalkyl, C.sub.6 C.sub.10
aryl, C.sub.6 C.sub.10 fluoroaryl, C.sub.1 C.sub.10 alkoxy, C.sub.2
C.sub.10 alkenyl, C.sub.7 C.sub.40 arylalkyl, C.sub.8 C.sub.40
arylalkenyl, and C.sub.7 C.sub.40 alkylaryl, or R.sup.11 and R.sup.12 or
R.sup.11 and R.sup.13, in each case with the atoms connecting them, form
a ring; and M.sup.2 is selected from the group consisting of silicon,
germanium, and tin; R.sup.8 and R.sup.9 are independently selected from
the group consisting of hydrogen, halogen, C.sub.1 C.sub.10 alkyl,
C.sub.1 C.sub.10 fluoroalkyl, C.sub.6 C.sub.10 aryl, C.sub.6 C.sub.10
fluoroaryl, C.sub.1 C.sub.10 alkoxy, C.sub.2 C.sub.10 alkenyl, C.sub.7
C.sub.40 arylalkyl, C.sub.8 C.sub.40 arylalkenyl, and C.sub.7 C.sub.40
alkylaryl; m and n are identical or different and are zero, 1, or 2, with
m plus n being zero, 1 or 2.
