The invention provides a preparation method of cycloolefin copolymers. The preparation method comprises the steps of utilizing a half
metallocene complex in a structure of a formula (I) as main catalysts, forming a salt
ion active center after being acted with a cocatalyst, and thereby catalyzing the copolymerisation of
ethylene and
norbornene. On one hand, the existence of R in the half
metallocene complex ensures the catalytic activity of a half
metallocene system; the introduction of P, O or S atoms for the half metallocene complex improves the catalytic stability, therefore, the catalytic activity of the half metallocene complex is high; on the other hand, the introduction of aryloxy or aromatic sulfenyl further improves the charge properties and the space effects of a
transition metal center, thereby being favorable for stabilizing a
metal cation center; and the larger volume and an annual structure formed with the
metal center also generate certain restriction to the
spatial configuration of the half metallocene complex, therefore the generated cycloolefin copolymers through
catalysis have high molecular weight, and at the same time, the method of the invention ensures that the content of the
norbornene in the complex is high and can be regulated.