New insights into the polymerization of methyl methacrylate initiated by rare-earth borohydride complexes: a combined experimental and computational approach

Polymerization of methyl methacrylate (MMA) initiated by the rare-earth borohydride complexes Ln(BH(4))(3)(thf)(3)] (Ln=Nd, Sm) or Sm(BH(4))(Cp*)(2)(thf)] (Cp*=eta-C(5)Me(5)) proceeds at ambient temperature to give rather syndiotactic poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) with molar masses M(n) higher than expected and quite broad molar mass distributions, which is consistent with a poor initiation efficiency. The polymerization of MMA was investigated by performing density functional theory (DFT) calculations on an eta-C(5)H(5) model metallocene and showed that in the reaction of Eu(BH(4))(Cp)(2)] with MMA the borate Eu(Cp)(2){(OBH(3))(OMe)C=C(Me)(2)}] (e-2) complex, which forms via the enolate Eu(Cp)(2){O(OMe)C=C(Me)(2)}] (e), is calculated to be exergonic and is the most likely of all of the possible products. This product is favored because the reaction that leads to the formation of carboxylate Eu(Cp)(2){OOC-C(Me)(=CH(2))}] (f) is thermodynamically favorable, but kinetically disfavored, and both of the potential products from a Markovnikov Eu(Cp)(2){O(OMe)C-CH(Me)(CH(2)BH(3))}] (g) or anti-Markovnikov Eu(Cp)(2){O(OMe)C-C(Me(2))(BH(3))}] (h) hydroboration reaction are also kinetically inaccessible. Similar computational results were obtained for the reaction of Eu(BH(4))(3)] and MMA with all of the products showing extra stabilization. The DFT calculations performed by using Eu(Cp)(2)(H)] to model the mechanism previously reported for the polymerization of MMA initiated by Sm(Cp*)(2)(H)](2) confirmed the favorable exergonic formation of the intermediate Eu(Cp)(2){O(OMe)C=C(Me)(2)}] (e') as the kinetic product, this enolate species ultimately leads to the formation of PMMA as experimentally observed. Replacing H by BH(4) thus prevents the 1,4-addition of the Eu(BH(4))(Cp)(2)] borohydride ligand to the first incoming MMA molecule and instead favors the formation of the borate complex e-2. This intermediate is the somewhat active species in the polymerization of MMA initiated by the borohydride precursors Ln(BH(4))(3)(thf)(3)] or Sm(BH(4))(Cp*)(2)(thf)].