Asymmetric zirconocene precursors for catalysis of propylene polymerization

Racemic isopropylidene (1-η⁵-cyclopentadienyl)(1-η⁵-indenyl) dichlorozirconium and the 3-methylindenyl derivative have been synthesized and characterized. These precursors activated with methylaluminoxane produce poly(propylene) with hemiisotactic microstructures. © 1994 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Zwitterionic titanoxanes {Cp[η-C5H4B(C6F5)3]Ti}2O and {(η-PrC5H4)[η-1,3-PrC5H3B(C6F5)3]Ti}2O as catalysts for cationic ring-opening polymerization

Zwitterionic titanoxanes {Cp[η⁵-C₅H₄B(C₆F₅)₃]Ti}₂O (I) and {(η⁵-ⁱPrC₅H₄)[η⁵-1,3-ⁱPrC₅H₃B(C₆F₅)₃]Ti}₂O (II), which contain two positively charged Ti(IV) centres in the molecule, are able to catalyse the ring-opening polymerization of -caprolactone (-CL) in toluene solution and in bulk. The process proceeds with a noticeable rate even at room temperature and accelerates strongly on raising the temperature to 60 °C. The best results have been obtained on carrying out the reaction in bulk. Under these conditions, the use of I as a catalyst (-CL:I = 1000:1) gives at 60 °C close to quantitative yield of poly--CL with the molecular mass of 197 000. An increase in the -CL:I ratio to 6000:1 increases the molecular mass of poly--CL to 530 000. Tetrahydrofuran (THF) is also polymerized under the action of I albeit with a lesser rate. However, the molecular mass of the resulting poly-THF can reach rather big values under optimal conditions (up to 217 000 at 20 °C and the THF:I ratio of 770:1). A rise in the reaction temperature from 20 to 60 °C results here to a decrease in the efficiency of the process. Titanoxane II is close to I in its catalytic activity in the -CL polymerization but it is much less active in the polymerization of THF. Propylene oxide (PO), in contrast to -CL and THF, gives with I only liquid oligomers in wide temperature and PO:I molar ratio ranges (−30 to +20 °C, PO:I = 500–2000:1). γ-Butyrolactone and 1-methyl-2-pyrrolidone are not polymerized under the action of I at room temperature. The reactions found are the first examples of catalysis of the cationic ring-opening polymerization by zwitterionic metallocenes of the group IVB metals.     

Heterometallic zirconocene(iii) aluminum hydride complex (Cp2ZrH)2HAlCl2·C4H8O2·C6H6

The heterometallic zirconocene(iii) aluminum hydride complex (Cp₂ZrH)₂HAlCl₂·C₄H₈O₂·C₆H₆ was synthesized by reduction of Cp₂ZrCl₂ with lithium aluminum hydride in the presence of Cp₂TiBH₄ and 1,4-dioxane, and its structure was established by X-ray diffraction analysis.     

Synthesis, solid-state structure, and bonding analysis of the beryllocenes [Be(C5Me4H)2], [Be(C5Me5)2], and [Be(C5Me5)(C5Me4H)

The beryllocenes [Be(C(5)Me(4)H)(2)] (1), [Be(C(5)Me(5))(2)] (2), and [Be(C(5)Me(5))(C(5)Me(4)H)] (3) have been prepared from BeCl(2) and the appropriate KCp' reagent in toluene/diethyl ether solvent mixtures. The synthesis of 1 is facile (20 degrees C, overnight), but generation of decamethylberyllocene 2 demands high temperatures (ca. 115 degrees C) and extended reaction times (3-4 days). The mixed-ring beryllocene 3 is obtained when the known [(eta(5)-C(5)Me(5))BeCl] is allowed to react with K[C(5)Me(4)H], once more under somewhat forcing conditions (115 degrees C, 36 h). The structures of the three metallocenes have been determined by low-temperature X-ray studies. Both 1 and 3 present eta5/eta1 geometries of the slip-sandwich type, whereas 2 exhibits an almost regular, ferrocene-like, sandwich structure. In the mixed-ring compound 3, C(5)Me(5) is centrally bound to beryllium and the eta(1)-C(5)Me(4)H ring bonds to the metal through the unique CH carbon atom. This is also the binding mode of the eta(1)-ring of 1. To analyze the nature of the bonding in these molecules, theoretical calculations at different levels of theory have been performed on compounds 2 and 3, and a comparison with the bonding in [Be(C(5)H(5))(2)] has been made. As for the latter molecule, energy differences between the eta5/eta5 and the eta5/eta1 structures of 2 are very small, being of the order of a few kcal mol(-1). Constrained space orbital variations (CSOV) calculations show that the covalent character in the bonding is larger for [Be(C(5)Me(5))(2)] than for [Be(C(5)H(5))(2)] due to larger charge delocalization and to increased polarizability of the C(5)Me(5) fragment.     

Formation of dinuclear titanium and zirconium complexes by olefin metathesis--catalytic preparation of organometallic catalyst systems

The titanium complex [(C(5)H(4)bond;allyl)TiCl(3)] (2) undergoes olefin metathesis coupling when treated with 3 mol % of [Cl(2)(L(1))(L(2))Ru=CHPh] (L(1)=L(2)=PCy(3), 4 a; L(1)=PCy(3), L(2)=(H(2)IMes), 4 b) to yield the dimetallic complex [Cl(3)Ti(C(5)H(4))-CH(2)CH=CHCH(2)-(C(5)H(4))TiCl(3)] (5). The allyl-substituted titanocene complex [Cp(C(5)H(4)bond;allyl)TiCl(2)] (3) analogously yields the dimetallic system 6 when treated with 4. The ansa-zirconocene complex [Me(2)Si(C(5)H(4))(C(5)H(3)bond;allyl)ZrCl(2)] (7) cleanly yields the analogous dimetallic coupling product 8 (>95 % isomerically pure), when treated with catalytic amounts of 4 b in toluene. Complex 8 gives an active homogeneous ethene or propene polymerization catalyst, especially at elevated temperatures, when treated with excess methylalumoxane.     

Synthesis and Biological Activity of Ferrocenyl and Ruthenocenyl Analogues of Etoposide: Discovery of a Novel Dual Inhibitor of Topoisomerase II Activity and Tubulin Polymerization

Two series of the ferrocenyl and ruthenocenyl analogues of etoposide bearing 1,2,3-triazolyl or aminoalkyl linker were synthesized and evaluated for their cytotoxic properties, influence on the cell cycle, ability to induce tubulin polymerization, and inhibition of topoisomerase II activity. We found that the replacement of the etoposide carbohydrate moiety with a metallocenyl group led to organometallic conjugates exhibiting differentiated antiproliferative activity. Biological studies demonstrated that two ferrocenylalkylamino conjugates were notably more active than etoposide, with submicromolar or low-micromolar IC₅₀ values towards SW620, etoposide-resistant SW620E, and methotrexate-resistant SW620M cancer cell lines. Moreover, the simplest ferrocenylmethylamino conjugate exerted dual inhibitory action against tubulin polymerization and topoisomerase II activity while other studied compounds affected only topoisomerase II activity.