Catalytic activity of systems based on titanium bis(phenoxy imine) complexes: Effect of the ligand structure

Polymerization of ethylene at 30–70°C in the presence of catalytic systems based on titanium bis(phenoxy imine) complexes of various structures, activated with methylalumoxane, was studied. An attempt was made to systematize the effect of substituents in ligands, to find correlations, to account for the results obtained, and to reveal conditions under which the reaction occurs by the living polymerization mechanism. Some properties and structural features of the polyethylenes obtained were determined.     

Specific features of ethylene polymerization on self-immobilizing catalytic systems based on titanium bis(phenoxy imine) complexes

The kinetics of ethylene polymerization on six methylalumoxane-activated self-immobilizing bis(phenoxy imine) complexes of titanium chloride with allyloxy groups in the m- and p-positions of the N-phenyl ring and with various substituents in the salicylaldehyde fragment was studied. The activity of the complexes in the temperature range 20–60°C and ethylene pressure of 0.4 MPa was evaluated.     

Design of Thermally Stable Amine–Imine Nickel Catalyst Precursors for Living Polymerization of Ethylene: Effect of Ligand Substituents on Catalytic Behavior and Polymer Properties

Nickel complexes bearing amine–imine ligands with various backbone substituents were synthesized and employed as ethylene polymerization catalysts on activation with Et₂AlCl. The substituent on the backbone carbon atom of the amine moiety is decisive for the living nature of ethylene polymerization. A bulky amine–imine nickel precursor with a tert‐butyl group on the carbon atom of the amine group can polymerize ethylene in a living fashion at an elevated temperature of 65 °C, which is the highest temperature of living polymerization of ethylene with late transition‐metal catalysts. The wide applicable temperature range for living polymerization and sensitivity of the branch structure of the polyethylene to temperature enable precise synthesis of di‐ and triblock polyethylenes featuring different branched segments by sequential tuning of the polymerization temperature.     

The mutual influence of the imine substituents of terephthal-bis-imines concerning their reactivity towards Fe2(CO)9

The reaction of terephthal-bis-imines with Fe₂(CO)₉ proceeds via a C---H activation reaction in the ortho position with respect to one of the imine functions. The corresponding hydrogen atom is shifted towards the former imine carbon atom producing a methylene group instead. The dinuclear iron complexes formed by this reaction sequence and showing no coordination of the second imine group were isolated from reactions of bis-imines with both phenyl and cyclohexyl substituents at the imine nitrogen atoms. In addition, we observed three different reaction pathways of the second imine substituent of the starting material which is obviously thus influenced by the fact that the first one is coordinating an Fe₂(CO)₆ moiety. If the organic substituent at the imine nitrogen atoms is a phenyl group the formation of a trinuclear complex is achieved in which an additional Fe(CO)₃ group is coordinating the CN double bond and one of the carbon---carbon bonds of the central phenyl ring in an η⁴-fashion. The same reaction leads to the isolation of a tetranuclear iron---carbonyl compound in which both imine substituents were transformed via the pathway described above, each building up dinuclear subunits. In contrast to this the reaction of a bis-imine with cyclohexyl groups at the imine nitrogen and thus an enhanced nucleophilicity leads to the formation of a tetranuclear complex in which only one imine group reacts under C---H activation with subsequent hydrogen migration towards the former imine carbon atom. The second imine substituent also shows a C---H activation reaction in the ortho position with respect to the imine group but the corresponding hydrogen atom is transferred to one of the aromatic carbon atom of the central phenyl ring of the ligand. The C=N double bond remains unreacted and only coordinates the second Fe₂(CO)₆ moiety via the nitrogen lone pair.     

Syndiospecific living propylene polymerization catalyzed by titanium complexes having fluorine-containing phenoxy-imine chelate ligands

The propylene polymerization behavior of a series of Ti complexes featuring fluorine-containing phenoxy-imine chelate ligands is reported. The Ti complexes combined with methylalumoxane (MAO) can be catalysts for living and, at the same time, stereospecific polymerization of propylene at room temperature or above. DFT calculations suggest that the attractive interaction between a fluorine ortho to the imine nitrogen and a beta-hydrogen of a growing polymer chain is responsible for the achievement of room-temperature living propylene polymerization. Although the Ti complexes possess C(2) symmetry, they are capable of producing highly syndiotactic polypropylenes. (13)C NMR is used to demonstrate that the syndiotacticity is governed by a chain-end control mechanism and that the polymerization is initiated exclusively via 1,2-insertion followed by 2,1-insertion as the principal mode of polymerization. (13)C NMR spectroscopy also elucidated that the polypropylenes produced with the Ti complexes possess regio-block structures. Substitutions on the phenoxy-imine ligands have profound effects on catalytic behavior of the Ti complexes. The steric bulk of the substituent ortho to the phenoxy oxygen plays a decisive role in achieving high syndioselectivity for the chain-end controlled polymerization. Over a temperature range of 0-50 degrees C, Ti complex having a trimethylsilyl group ortho to the phenoxy oxygen forms highly syndiotactic, nearly monodisperse polypropylenes (94-90% rr) with extremely high peak melting temperatures (T(m) = 156-149 degrees C). The polymerization behavior of the Ti complexes can be explained well by the recently proposed site-inversion mechanism for the formation of syndiotactic polypropylene by a Ti complex having a pair of fluorine-containing phenoxy-imine ligands.     

Living polymerization of ethylene catalyzed by titanium complexes having fluorine-containing phenoxy-imine chelate ligands

Seven titanium complexes bearing fluorine-containing phenoxy-imine chelate ligands, TiCl(2)[eta(2)-1-[C(H)=NR]-2-O-3-(t)Bu-C(6)H(3)](2) [R = 2,3,4,5,6-pentafluorophenyl (1), R = 2,4,6-trifluorophenyl (2), R = 2,6-difluorophenyl (3), R = 2-fluorophenyl (4), R = 3,4,5-trifluorophenyl (5), R = 3,5-difluorophenyl (6), R = 4-fluorophenyl (7)], were synthesized from the lithium salt of the requisite ligand and TiCl(4) in good yields (22%-76%). X-ray analysis revealed that the complexes 1 and 3 adopt a distorted octahedral structure in which the two phenoxy oxygens are situated in the trans-position while the two imine nitrogens and the two chlorine atoms are located cis to one another, the same spatial disposition as that for the corresponding nonfluorinated complex. Although the Ti-O, Ti-N, and Ti-Cl bond distances for complexes 1 and 3 are very similar to those for the nonfluorinated complex, the bond angles between the ligands (e.g., O-Ti-O, N-Ti-N, and Cl-Ti-Cl) and the Ti-N-C-C torsion angles involving the phenyl on the imine nitrogen are different from those for the nonfluorinated complex, as a result of the introduction of fluorine atoms. Complex 1/methylalumoxane (MAO) catalyst system promoted living ethylene polymerization to produce high molecular weight polyethylenes (M(n) > 400 000) with extremely narrow polydispersities (M(w)/M(n) < 1.20). Very high activities (TOF > 20 000 min(-1) atm(-1)) were observed that are comparable to those of Cp(2)ZrCl(2)/MAO at high polymerization temperatures (25, 50 degrees C). Complexes 2-4, which have a fluorine atom adjacent to the imine nitrogen, behaved as living ethylene polymerization catalysts at 50 degrees C, whereas complexes 5-7, possessing no fluorine adjacent to the imine nitrogen, produced polyethylenes having M(w)/M(n) values of ca. 2 with beta-hydrogen transfer as the main termination pathway. These results together with DFT calculations suggested that the presence of a fluorine atom adjacent to the imine nitrogen is a requirement for the high-temperature living polymerization, and the fluorine of the active species for ethylene polymerization interacts with a beta-hydrogen of a polymer chain, resulting in the prevention of beta-hydrogen transfer. This catalyst system was used for the synthesis of a number of unique block copolymers such as polyethylene-b-poly(ethylene-co-propylene) diblock copolymer and polyethylene-b-poly(ethylene-co-propylene)-b-syndiotactic polypropylene triblock copolymer from ethylene and propylene.     

Zirconium complexes bearing bis(phenoxy‐imine) ligands with bulky o‐bis(aryl)methyl‐substituted aniline groups: synthesis,characterization and ethylene polymerization behavior

A series of bis(phenoxy‐imine) zirconium complexes bearing bulky o‐bis(aryl)methyl‐substituted aryl groups on the aniline moiety have been synthesized, characterized and tested as catalyst precursors for ethylene polymerization. ¹H NMR spectroscopy suggests that these complexes exist as a single chiral C₂‐symmetric isomer in the solution. X‐ray crystallographic analysis of the resulting biszwitterionic‐type adduct complex C1 · 2HCl reveals that the phenoxy‐imine groups function as a monodentate phenoxy ligand and the oxygen atoms are oriented trans to each other at the central metal atom. Using modified methylaluminoxane (MMAO) as co‐catalyst, C1 · 2HCl, C2–C6 exclusively produce linear aluminium‐terminated polyethylenes (Al‐PEs) with high activity (up to 16.89 × 10⁶ g PE (mol Zr h)^?1, suggesting that chain transfer to aluminum is the predominant termination mechanism. It is noteworthy that the introduction of an excessively bulky o‐bis(aryl)methyl substituent adjacent to the imine‐N produces low molecular‐weight Al‐PEs (M_v 1.6–10.1 × 10³) due to the enhanced rate of chain transfer to alkylaluminium groups during polymerization. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Self-immobilized catalysts for ethylene polymerization based on various phenoxyimine titanium halide complexes

The kinetic features of ethylene polymerization on ten methylalumoxane-activated self-immobilized bis(phenoxyimine) complexes of titanium chloride of various structure containing oxyallyl functional groups were studied. The catalytic activity of the systems was determined in the temperature range 20–60 °C under ethylene pressure 0.4 MPa. The positions and structures of the oxyallyl group and substituents in the phenoxy groups of the complexes substantially change the activity of the catalytic systems based on these complexes, the rate of the self-immobilization of the catalysts on the polymer, and molecular weights and molecular weight distributions of the obtained polyethylenes.     

Polymerization of ethylene in the presence of bis(phenoxyimine) complexes of titanium chloride that contain various substituents in a phenoxy group

The kinetic features of ethylene polymerization with six methylaluminoxane-activated bis(phenoxyimine) complexes of titanium chloride that are distinguished by the electronic properties of substituents in the phenoxy group are studied in the temperature range 30–80°C and at an ethylene pressure of 0.3 MPa. It is shown that, in the presence of an electro-donor or electron-acceptor substituent in the phenoxy group, the catalytic systems under study exhibit high activity (up to ～700 t_PE mol _cat ^?1 mol _ethylene ^?1 h^?1) and form high-molecular-mass PE samples (M _η = (500–900) × 10³) with different molecular-mass distributions. In the case of titanium bis(phenoxyimine) complexes containing donor substituents at the para position of the phenoxy group, the polymerization of ethylene follows the living-chain mechanism, while the introduction of acceptor substituents diminishes the contribution of this mechanism to the reaction.     

Novel N-phosphonio imine-catalyzed epoxidation reactions

A new type of acyclic N-phosphonio imine catalyst for selective epoxidations has been synthesized. The activity of these imine catalysts can easily be modulated by varying its substituents. The substituent attached to the imine nitrogen atom is particularly important for an efficient oxygen transfer.     

Ethylene polymerization with FI complexes having novel phenoxy‐imine ligands: Effect of metal type and complex immobilization

A series of bis(phenoxy‐imine) vanadium and zirconium complexes with different types of R³ substituents at the nitrogen atom, where R³ = phenyl, naphthyl, or anthryl, was synthesized and investigated in ethylene polymerization. Moreover, the catalytic performance was verified for three supported catalysts, which had been obtained by immobilization of bis[N‐(salicylidene)‐1‐naphthylaminato]M(IV) dichloride complexes (M = V, Zr, or Ti) on the magnesium carrier MgCl₂(THF)₂/Et₂AlCl. Catalytic performance of both supported and homogeneous catalysts was verified in conjunction with methylaluminoxane (MAO) or with alkylaluminium compounds (Et_nAlCl_3?n, n = 1–3). The activity of FI vanadium and zirconium complexes was observed to decline for the growing size of R³, whereas the average molecular weight (MW) of the polymers was growing for larger substituent. Moreover, vanadium complexes exhibited the highest activity with EtAlCl₂, whereas zirconium ones showed the best activity with MAO. All immobilized systems were most active in conjunction with MAO, and their activities were higher than those for their homogeneous counterparts, and they gave polymers with higher average MWs. That effect was in particular evident for the titanium catalyst. The vanadium complex 3 was also a good precursor for ethylene/1‐octene copolymerization; however, its immobilization reduced its potential for incorporation of a comonomer into a polyethylene chain. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem, 2011     

Application of the addition of triorganozincates to N-(tert-butanesulfinyl)imines to the enantioselective synthesis of α-amino acids

Highly enantiomerically enriched N-protected α-amino acids can be easily prepared from optically pure N-(tert-butanesulfinyl)imines by a four-step sequence involving: diastereoselective addition of a triorganozincate to the imine, removal of the sulfinyl group, benzoylation of the nitrogen atom of the obtained primary amine and oxidation of one of the substituents on the carbon atom α to the nitrogen. Using the same configuration in the sulfinyl chiral auxiliary, amino acids with the (R) or the (S) configuration can be prepared by choosing the proper combination of imine and organozincate. α,α-Disubstituted α-amino esters with high optical purity can also be prepared by the diastereoselective addition of trialkylzincates to α-imino esters.     

二茂铁亚胺及其环汞化合物的薄层色谱及紫外-可见、红外光谱特征

通过测定R^f值对比研究了二茂铁亚胺及其环汞化合物的色谱亲和性,发现环汞化合物比未汞化的二茂铁亚胺具有较高的R_f值,并用N→Hg分子内配位作用给予解释。分析取代基效应表明,亚胺氮上电子密度越高,R_f值越小。紫外可见光谱表明,环汞化合物分子中存在有N→Hg分子内配位作用。研究了N-Ar环和亚胺碳上的取代基效应对紫外光谱的影响,与N-Ar环上无取代基时相比,π→π^*CT跃迁带的最大吸收波长移动值△λ_max和Hammett-Brown常数σ⁺之间存在良好的线性关系。考察了二茂铁红外光谱规则对所研究体系的适用情况。     

Redox-active bridging ligands based on indigo diimine ("Nindigo") derivatives

Reactions of indigo with a variety of substituted anilines produce the corresponding indigo diimines ("Nindigos") in good yields. Nindigo coordination complexes are subsequently prepared by reactions of the Nindigo ligands with Pd(hfac)(2). In most cases, binuclear complexes are obtained in which the deprotonated Nindigo bridges two Pd(hfac) moieties in the expected bis-bidentate binding mode. When the Nindigo possesses bulky substituents on the imine (mesityl, 2,6-dimethylphenyl, 2,6-diisopropylphenyl, etc.), mononuclear Pf(hfac) complexes are obtained in which the Nindigo core has isomerized from a trans- to a cis-alkene; in these structures, the palladium is bound to the cis-Nindigo ligand at the two indole nitrogen atoms; the remaining proton is bound between the imine nitrogen atoms. The palladium complexes possess intense electronic absorption bands [near 920 nm for the binuclear complexes and 820 nm for the mononuclear cis-Nindigo complexes; extinction coefficients are (1.0-2.0) × 10(4) M(-1) cm(-1)] that are ligand-centered (π-π*) transitions. Cyclic voltammetry investigations reveal multiple redox events that are also ligand-centered in origin. All of the palladium complexes can be reversibly oxidized in two sequential one-electron steps; the binuclear complexes are reduced in a two-electron process whose reversibility depends on the Nindigo ligand substituent; the mononuclear palladium species show two one-electron reductions, only the first of which is quasi-reversible.     

Enolic Schiff Base Zinc Amide Complexes: Highly Active Catalysts for Ring-Opening Polymerization of Lactide and <Emphasis Type="Italic">ε</Emphasis>-Caprolactone

A series of zinc silylamido complexes based upon NNO tridentate enolic Schiff base framework have been synthesized and characterized. These complexes were tested for the ring opening polymerization of lactide and ε-caprolactone, exhibiting notably high activity at ambient temperature. The influence of imine bridge length and substituents of diketone over the course of polymerization was investigated in details. Remarkably, 4a was confirmed to be a rare example of exceedingly active and robust zinc catalysts, achieving major transformation of lactide under extremely low loading (0.025 mol%) within 18 min. The influence of various monomers as well as the polymerization mechanism have also been discussed.     

Studies on Electronic Effects in O‐, N‐ and S‐Chelated Ruthenium Olefin‐Metathesis Catalysts

A short overview on the structural design of the Hoveyda–Grubbs‐type ruthenium initiators chelated through oxygen, nitrogen or sulfur atoms is presented. Our aim was to compare and contrast O‐, N‐ and S‐chelated ruthenium complexes to better understand the impact of electron‐withdrawing and ‐donating substituents on the geometry and activity of the ruthenium complexes and to gain further insight into the trans–cis isomerisation process of the S‐chelated complexes. To evaluate the different effects of chelating heteroatoms and to probe electronic effects on sulfur‐ and nitrogen‐chelated latent catalysts, we synthesised a series of novel complexes. These catalysts were compared against two well‐known oxygen‐chelated initiators and a sulfoxide‐chelated complex. The structures of the new complexes have been determined by single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction and analysed to search for correlations between the structural features and activity. The replacement of the oxygen‐chelating atom by a sulfur or nitrogen atom resulted in catalysts that were inert at room temperature for typical ring‐closing metathesis (RCM) and cross‐metathesis reactions and showed catalytic activity only at higher temperatures. Furthermore, one nitrogen‐chelated initiator demonstrated thermo‐switchable behaviour in RCM reactions, similar to its sulfur‐chelated counterparts.     

Synthesis,spectroscopic, electrochemical and structural characterization of Cu(II) complexes with asymmetric NN′OS coordination spheres

A set of four Cu(II) complexes, [Cu(cdnapen)], [Cu(cdnappd)], [Cu(cdMenappd)] and [Cu(cdMeMeOsalpd)], derived from Schiff base ligands with an asymmetric NN′OS coordination sphere have been synthesized. The molecular and the crystal structures have been determined by X-ray diffractometry. The structural results confirm that the complexes are tetra coordinated. The copper (II) ion coordinates to two nitrogen atoms from the imine moiety of the ligand, a sulfur atom from the methyl dithiocarboxylate moiety and a phenolic oxygen atom. The complexes show an unusual tetrahedral distortion to the square-planar geometry around the metal centre in spite of the pseudomacrocyclic skeleton of the ligand. The complexes were further characterized by cyclic voltammetry and electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy. The degree of tetrahedral distortion of the complexes appears to be dependent on the number of carbon atoms of the aliphatic bridge and the nature of the coordinating atoms.     

Titanium and Zirconium Complexes with Non‐Salicylaldimine‐Type Imine–Phenoxy Chelate Ligands: Syntheses,Structures, and Ethylene‐Polymerization Behavior

New Ti and Zr complexes that bear imine–phenoxy chelate ligands, [{2,4‐di‐tBu‐6‐(RCH=N)‐C₆H₄O}₂MCl₂] ( 1 : M=Ti, R=Ph; 2 : M=Ti, R=C₆F₅; 3 : M=Zr, R=Ph; 4 : M=Zr, R=C₆F₅), were synthesized and investigated as precatalysts for ethylene polymerization. ¹H NMR spectroscopy suggests that these complexes exist as mixtures of structural isomers. X‐ray crystallographic analysis of the adduct 1 ?HCl reveals that it exists as a zwitterionic complex in which H and Cl are situated in close proximity to one of the imine nitrogen atoms and the central metal, respectively. The X‐ray molecular structure also indicates that one imine phenoxy group with the syn C?N configuration functions as a bidentate ligand, whereas the other, of the anti C?N form, acts as a monodentate phenoxy ligand. Although Zr complexes 3 and 4 with methylaluminoxane (MAO) or [Ph₃C]⁺[B(C₆F₅)₄]^?/AliBu₃ displayed moderate activity, the Ti congeners 1 and 2 , in association with an appropriate activator, catalyzed ethylene polymerization with high efficiency. Upon activation with MAO at 25 °C, 2 displayed a very high activity of 19900 (kg PE) (mol Ti)^?1 h^?1, which is comparable to that for [Cp₂TiCl₂] and [Cp₂ZrCl₂], although increasing the polymerization temperature did result in a marked decrease in activity. Complex 2 contains a C₆F₅ group on the imine nitrogen atom and mediated nonliving‐type polymerization, unlike the corresponding salicylaldimine‐type complex. Conversely, with [Ph₃C]⁺[B(C₆F₅)₄]^?/AliBu₃ activation, 1 exhibited enhanced activity as the temperature was increased (25–75 °C) and maintained very high activity for 60 min at 75 °C (18740 (kg PE) (mol Ti)^?1 h^?1). ¹H NMR spectroscopic studies of the reaction suggest that this thermally robust catalyst system generates an amine–phenoxy complex as the catalytically active species. The combinations 1 /[Ph₃C]⁺[B(C₆F₅)₄]^?/AliBu₃ and 2 /MAO also worked as high‐activity catalysts for the copolymerization of ethylene and propylene.     

Synthesis and characterization of 4‐arm star side‐chain liquid crystalline polymers containing azobenzene with different terminal substituents via ATRP

4‐Arm star side‐chain liquid crystalline (LC) polymers containing azobenzene with different terminal substituents were synthesized by atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP). Tetrafunctional initiator prepared by the esterification between pentaerythritol and 2‐bromoisobutyryl bromide was utilized to initiate the polymerization of 6‐[4‐(4‐methoxyphenylazo)phenoxy]hexyl methacrylate (MMAzo) and 6‐[4‐(4‐ethoxyphenylazo)phenoxy]hexyl methacrylate (EMAzo), respectively. The 4‐arm star side‐chain LC polymer with p‐methoxyazobenzene moieties exhibits a smectic and a nematic phase, while that with p‐ethoxyazobenzene moieties shows only a nematic phase, which derives of different terminal substituents. The star polymers have similar LC behavior to the corresponding linear homopolymers, whereas transition temperatures decrease slightly. Both star polymers show photoresponsive isomerization under the irradiation with UV–vis light. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 45: 3342–3348, 2007     

单组分酚膦中性镍催化乙烯均聚与共聚反应

以酚膦化合物为双齿配体,合成与表征了一系列单组分中性镍烯烃聚合催化剂。 研究表明,酚膦配体结构显著影响中性镍的催化性能,酚氧邻位无取代基的(2-PPh2-C6H4O)Ni(Me)(Py)(3a)活性较低,向酚氧邻位引入叔丁基或苯基等位阻基团可大幅度提高(2-PPh2-C6H3(R)O)Ni(Me)(Py)(3b~3d)的催化效率,最高催化活性可达4.46×106 g PE/(mol(Ni)·h)。 同时,聚乙烯的分子量也可以通过取代基效应进行适度调控,使用酚氧邻位带有苯基或蒽基的催化剂(3c~3d)可获得较高分子量的聚乙烯。 用供电子叔丁基替代二苯膦的一个苯环可提高催化活性中心镍原子的电子云密度,使辅助配体吡啶更容易离去,从而可在较低温度下引发乙烯聚合反应。 此外,这类酚膦中性镍催化剂对极性基团具有较强的耐受性,可催化乙烯与极性5-降冰片烯-2-乙酸酯的共聚反应。