Preparation, structure, and ethylene polymerization behavior of half-sandwich picolyl-functionalized carborane iridium, ruthenium, and rhodium complexes

The synthesis of half-sandwich transition-metal complexes containing the Cab(N) and Cab(N,S) chelate ligands (HCab(N) = HC2B10H10CH2C5H4N (1), LiCab(N,S) = LiSC2B10H10CH2C5H4N (4)) is described. Compounds 1 and 4 were treated with chloride-bridged dimers {Ir(Cp*)Cl2}2] (Cp* = eta5-C5Me5), {Ru(p-cymene)Cl2}2] and {Rh(Cp*)Cl2}2] to give half-sandwich complexes Ir(Cp*)Cl(Cab(N))] (2), Ru(p-cymene)Cl(Cab(N))] (3), and Rh(Cp*)Cl(Cab(N,S))] (5), respectively. Addition reaction of LiCab(S) (Cab(S) = SC2(H)B10H10) to the rhodium complex 5 yields Rh(Cp*)(Cab(S))(Cab(N,S))] (6). All the complexes were characterized by IR and NMR spectroscopy, and by elemental analysis. In addition, X-ray structure analyses were performed on complexes 2, 3, 5, and 6, in which the potential C,N- and N,S-chelate ligands were found to coordinate in a bidentate mode. The carborane complex 2 shows catalytic activities up to 3.7x10(5) g PE mol(-1) Ir h(-1) for the polymerization of ethylene in the presence of methylaluminoxane (MAO) as cocatalyst. The polymer obtained from this homogeneous catalytic reaction has a spherical morphology. Catalytic activities and the molecular weight of polyethylene have been investigated for various reaction conditions.