A DFT quantum‐chemical study on the structures and active sites of polymethylaluminoxane

The electronic structure and geometry of polymethylaluminoxane (MAO) [—Al(CH₃)O—]_n with different size (n = 4–12) have been studied using quantum‐chemical DFT (density functional theory) calculations. It has been found: 1) Starting from n = 6, the three‐dimensional oxo‐bridged (cage) structure of MAO is more stable than the cyclic structure. 2) Both for cage structure and for cyclic structure the Lewis acidity of Al atoms characterized by their net positive charge amplifies with increasing size of MAO (n). 3) Trimethylaluminium (AlMe₃) reacts with the cage structure of MAO with cleavage of an Al‐O dative bond and formation of acidic tri‐coordinated Al^v and basic di‐coordinated O^v atoms in the MAO molecule. Two molecules AlMe₃ are associated with acidic Al^v and basic O^v centers. As the MAO increases in size, the acidity of Al^v centers amplifies and the distance Al^v‐(AlMe₃) shortens; on the contrary, interaction of AlMe₃ with O^v centers weakens and the distance O^v‐(AlMe₃) increases with increasing n value. The total heat of Al₂Me₆ interaction with MAO (sum interaction of Al^v‐(AlMe₃) and O^v‐(AlMe₃)) noticeably decreases as the size of MAO increases (from 50.9 kcal/mol for n = 4 to 20.2 kcal/mol for n = 12). It is proposed that acidic Al^v and basic O^v centers formed in the cage structure of MAO interact with zirconocene yielding ‘cation‐like’ zirconium active centers.     

Quantum chemical studies of propene,ethylene, acetylene and dihydrogen reactivity in the insertion reaction into the titanium-alkyl bond

Using the ab initio method of SCF MO LCAO

1 SCF MO LCAO: Self-consistent field molecular orbital linear combination of atomic orbitals.

in a valency-splitted basis of the Gaussian functions we have studied the addition of various monomers (C₃H₈, C₂H₄, C₂H₂) and dihydrogen to the titanium-alkyl bond in the complex H₂TiCH₃. The structure of transition states in the insertion reaction, heats of π-complex formation and activation energies for the insertion of the coordinated monomers have been calculated. The calculation results show that the reactivity decreases in the order C₂H₂ > C₂H₄ > C₃H₈ > H₂. According to the results obtained, the energy of the π^*-antibonding orbital of monomers can serve as an index of relative reactivity in the insertion reaction into the metal-alkyl bond.     

Reactions of triethylgermylpentafluorobenzene with some electrophilic agents

Triethylgermylpentafluorobenzene C₆F₅GeEt₃ reacts with CF₃SO₃H, HSO₃Cl, Me₃SiOSO₂Cl, chlorine, bromine, Cl₂/AlCl₃, or Br₂/AlBr₃ with cleavage of the C_aryl Ge bond. Cesium fluoride promotes electrophilic degermylation of C₆F₅GeEt₃, possibly via the intermediate formation of a tetraorganylfluorogermanate.