Effective, selective coupling of propylene oxide and carbon dioxide to poly(propylene carbonate) using (salen)CrN3 catalysts

The copolymerization of propylene oxide and CO2 has been investigated employing Cr(salen)N3 complexes as catalysts. Unfortunately the reaction could not be studied in real time via in situ IR spectroscopy, thereby obtaining detailed kinetic data, because of the copolymer limited solubility in most solvents. Investigations employing batch reactor runs concentrating on varying the cocatalyst, the equivalents of cocatalyst, and the steric and electronic structure of the catalyst through modification of the salen ligand were undertaken. It was discovered that the optimal catalyst for copolymer selectivity vs the monomeric propylene carbonate was one that contained a salen ligand with an electron-withdrawing phenylene backbone and electron-donating tert-butyl groups in the phenolate rings. This catalyst was used to investigate the effect of altering the nature of the cocatalyst and its concentration, the three cocatalysts being tricyclohexylphosphine (PCy3), PPN+ N3(-), and PPN+ Cl-, where PPN+ is the large very weakly interacting bis(triphenylphosphoramylidene)ammonium cation. By utilization of more or less than 1 equiv of PCy3 as cocatalyst, the yield of polymer was reduced. On the other hand, the PPN+ salts showed the best activity when 0.5 equiv was employed, and produced only cyclic when using over 1 equiv.     

Role of the cocatalyst in the copolymerization of CO2 and cyclohexene oxide utilizing chromium salen complexes

The mechanism of the copolymerization of cyclohexene oxide and carbon dioxide to afford poly(cyclohexylene)carbonate catalyzed by (salen)CrN3 (H2salen = N,N,'-bis(3,5-di-tert-butylsalicylidene)-1,2-ethylene-diimine) in the presence of a broad range of cocatalysts has been studied. We have previously established the rate of copolymer formation to be very sensitive to both the electron-donating ability of the salen ligand and the [cocatalyst], where N-heterocyclic amines, phosphines, and ionic salts were effective cocatalysts. Significant increases in the rate of copolymerization have been achieved with turnover frequencies of approximately 1200 h(-1), thereby making these catalyst systems some of the most active and robust thus far uncovered. Herein we offer a detailed explanation of the role of the cocatalyst in the copolymerization of CO2 and cyclohexene oxide catalyzed by chromium salen derivatives. A salient feature of the N-heterocyclic amine- or phosphine-cocatalyzed processes is the presence of an initiation period prior to reaching the maximum rate of copolymerization. Importantly, this is not observed for comparable processes involving ionic salts as cocatalysts, e.g., PPN+ X-. In these latter cases the copolymerization reaction exhibits ideal kinetic behavior and is proposed to proceed via a reaction pathway involving anionic six-coordinate (salen)Cr(N3)X- derivatives. By way of infrared and 31P NMR spectroscopic studies, coupled with in situ kinetic monitoring of the reactions, a mechanism of copolymerization is proposed where the neutral cocatalysts react with CO2 and/or epoxide to produce inner salts or zwitterions which behave in a manner similar to that of ionic salts.     

The copolymerization of carbon dioxide and [2-(3,4-epoxycyclohexyl)ethyl]trimethoxysilane catalyzed by (salen)CrCl. Formation of a CO2 soluble polycarbonate

The copolymerization of 2-(3,4-epoxycyclohexyl)ethyl-trimethoxysilane and carbon dioxide catalyzed by (salen)Cr(III)Cl (H(2)salen = N,N'-bis(3,5-di-tert-butylsalicylidene)-1,2-ethylenediimine) with 2.5 equiv of N-MeIm as cocatalyst affords a polycarbonate devoid of polyether linkages, along with only a trace quantity of cyclic carbonate. The presence of the trimethoxysilane functionality in the epoxide not only provided the reactant monomer and product copolymer high solubility in liquid carbon dioxide but also provided the ability to cross-link the copolymer and thereby greatly alter the physical properties of the thus formed polycarbonate. In addition, the enhanced solubility of the copolymer in liquid CO(2) furnishes a ready means of removing the highly colored metal catalyst from the polycarbonate product.     

Aluminum salen complexes and tetrabutylammonium salts: a binary catalytic system for production of polycarbonates from CO2 and cyclohexene oxide

A series of complexes of the form (salen)AlZ, where H2salen = N,N'-bis(salicylidene)-1,2-phenylenediimine and various other salen derivatives and Z = Et or Cl, have been synthesized. Several of these complexes have been characterized by X-ray crystallography. An investigation of the utilization of these aluminum derivatives along with both ionic and neutral bases as cocatalysts for the copolymerization of carbon dioxide and cyclohexene oxide has been conducted. By studying the reactivity of these complexes for this process as substituents on the diimine backbone and phenolate rings are altered, we have observed that aluminum prefers electron-withdrawing groups on the salen ligands, thereby producing an electrophilic metal center to be most active toward production of polycarbonates from CO2 and cyclohexene oxide. For example, the complex derived from H2salen = N,N'-bis(3,5-di-tert-butylsalicylidene)-1,2-ethylenediimine is essentially inactive when compared to the analogous derivative containing nitro substituents in the 3-positions of the phenolate groups. This is to be contrasted with the catalytic activity observed for the (salen)CrX systems, where electron-donating salen ligands greatly enhanced the reactivity of these complexes for the coupling of CO2 and epoxides. While (salen)AlZ complexes are capable of producing poly(cyclohexene oxide) carbonate with low amounts of polyether linkage along with small quantities of cyclic carbonate byproducts, their reactivities, covering a turnover frequency range of 5.2-35.4 mol of epoxide consumed/(mol of Al x h), are greatly reduced when compared to their (salen)CrX analogues under identical reaction conditions.     

Mechanistic aspects of the copolymerization reaction of carbon dioxide and epoxides,using a chiral salen chromium chloride catalyst

The air-stable, chiral (salen)Cr(III)Cl complex (3), where H(2)salen = N,N'-bis(3,5-di-tert-butyl-salicylidene)-1,2-cyclohexene diamine, has been shown to be an effective catalyst for the coupling of cyclohexene oxide and carbon dioxide to afford poly(cyclohexenylene carbonate), along with a small quantity of its trans-cyclic carbonate. The thus produced polycarbonate contained >99% carbonate linkages and had a M(n) value of 8900 g/mol with a polydispersity index of 1.2 as determined by gel permeation chromatography. The turnover number (TON) and turnover frequency (TOF) values of 683 g of polym/g of Cr and 28.5 g of polym/g of Cr/h, respectively for reactions carried out at 80 degrees C and 58.5 bar pressure increased by over 3-fold upon addition of 5 equiv of the Lewis base cocatalyst, N-methyl imidazole. Although this chiral catalyst is well documented for the asymmetric ring-opening (ARO) of epoxides, in this instance the copolymer produced was completely atactic as illustrated by (13)C NMR spectroscopy. Whereas the mechanism for the (salen)Cr(III)-catalyzed ARO of epoxides displays a squared dependence on [catalyst], which presumably is true for the initiation step of the copolymerization reaction, the rate of carbonate chain growth leading to copolymer or cyclic carbonate formation is linearly dependent on [catalyst]. This was demonstrated herein by way of in situ measurements at 80 degrees C and 58.5 bar pressure. Hence, an alternative mechanism for copolymer production is operative, which is suggested to involve a concerted attack of epoxide at the axial site of the chromium(III) complex where the growing polymer chain for epoxide ring-opening resides. Preliminary investigations of this (salen)Cr(III)-catalyzed system for the coupling of propylene oxide and carbon dioxide reveal that although cyclic carbonate is the main product provided at elevated temperatures, at ambient temperature polycarbonate formation is dominant. A common reaction pathway for alicyclic (cyclohexene oxide) and aliphatic (propylene oxide) carbon dioxide coupling is thought to be in effect, where in the latter instance cyclic carbonate production has a greater temperature dependence compared to copolymer formation.     

(Tetramethyltetraazaannulene)chromium chloride: a highly active catalyst for the alternating copolymerization of epoxides and carbon dioxide

A tetramethyltetraazaannulene complex incorporating a chromium(III) metal center has been shown to be highly active toward the copolymerization of cyclohexene oxide and carbon dioxide to afford poly(cyclohexene carbonate) in the presence of [PPN]N3 [PPN+=bis(triphenylphosphoranylidene)ammonium] as a cocatalyst. An asymptotical rate increase was observed, leveling at 2 equiv of cocatalyst with a maximum turnover frequency of 1300 h(-1) at 80 degrees C. A benefit of this new catalyst system over that of the previously studied less-active (salen)CrX system is that the (tmtaa)CrCl catalyst has a much lower propensity toward the formation of a cyclic carbonate byproduct throughout the copolymerization reaction.     

Concerning the Deactivation of Cobalt(III)‐Based Porphyrin and Salen Catalysts in Epoxide/CO2 Copolymerization

Functioning as active catalysts for propylene oxide (PO) and carbon dioxide copolymerization, cobalt(III)‐based salen and porphyrin complexes have drawn great attention owing to their readily modifiable nature and promising catalytic behavior, such as high selectivity for the copolymer formation and good regioselectivity with respect to the polymer microstructure. Both cobalt(III)–salen and porphyrin catalysts have been found to undergo reduction reactions to their corresponding catalytically inactive cobalt(II) species in the presence of propylene oxide, as evidenced by UV/Vis and NMR spectroscopies and X‐ray crystallography (for cobalt(II)–salen). Further investigations on a TPPCoCl (TPP=tetraphenylporphyrin) and NaOMe system reveal that such a catalyst reduction is attributed to the presence of alkoxide anions. Kinetic studies of the redox reaction of TPPCoCl with NaOMe suggests a pseudo‐first order in cobalt(III)–porphyrin. The addition of a co‐catalyst, namely bis(triphenylphosphine)iminium chloride (PPNCl), into the reaction system of cobalt(III)–salen/porphyrin and PO shows no direct stabilizing effect. However, the results of PO/CO₂ copolymerization by cobalt(III)–salen/porphyrin with PPNCl suggest a suppressed catalyst reduction. This phenomenon is explained by a rapid transformation of the alkoxide into the carbonate chain end in the course of the polymer formation, greatly shortening the lifetime of the autoreducible PO‐ring‐opening intermediates, cobalt(III)–salen/porphyrin alkoxides.     

Complexities in the ring-opening polymerization of lactide by chiral salen aluminum initiators

The preparation of (R, R)- and (S, S)-salen Al(OR) complexes, where R = Et, CH2(i)Pr, CH2(t)Bu, and CH2CH(S)MeCl, are reported, along with their reactions with rac-lactide (salen = N, N'-bis(3,5-di-tert-butylsalicylidene)-1,2-cyclohexanediamino). Rapid, reversible coordination of LA to the salen metal complex is observed, and it is shown that the relative rates of alcohol/alkoxide exchange are comparable to the NMR time scale while the rate of chain transfer involving (R, R)-salenAl(O-R-R) and (S, S)-salenAl(O-S-R) is much faster than the initial rate of ring opening of the LA monomer. For a primary [Al-OR] moiety, the ring opening of rac-LA is much faster than the ring-opening polymerization/enchainment of LA, and in the initial ring-opening event, the diastereoselectivity is dependent on the solvent, the chirality of the salen ligand, and the OR group. Irrespective of the initiator group OR or the solvent, the system moves to a pseudostatic equilibrium concentration of L- and D-LA which is dependent on the nature of the chirality of the salen ligand. Further studies show that the relative rate of trans-esterification is slower than the rate of LA enchainment and that the rate of epimerization is the slowest reaction in the system. Adventitious water leads to loss of catalytic activity and formation of the inert oxo-bridged compound [(salen)Al]2(mu-O) which has been structurally characterized.     

One-electron oxidation of electronically diverse manganese(III) and nickel(II) salen complexes: transition from localized to delocalized mixed-valence ligand radicals

Ligand radicals from salen complexes are unique mixed-valence compounds in which a phenoxyl radical is electronically linked to a remote phenolate via a neighboring redox-active metal ion, providing an opportunity to study electron transfer from a phenolate to a phenoxyl radical mediated by a redox-active metal ion as a bridge. We herein synthesize one-electron-oxidized products from electronically diverse manganese(III) salen complexes in which the locus of oxidation is shown to be ligand-centered, not metal-centered, affording manganese(III)-phenoxyl radical species. The key point in the present study is an unambiguous assignment of intervalence charge transfer bands by using nonsymmetrical salen complexes, which enables us to obtain otherwise inaccessible insight into the mixed-valence property. A d(4) high-spin manganese(III) ion forms a Robin-Day class II mixed-valence system, in which electron transfer is occurring between the localized phenoxyl radical and the phenolate. This is in clear contrast to a d(8) low-spin nickel(II) ion with the same salen ligand, which induces a delocalized radical (Robin-Day class III) over the two phenolate rings, as previously reported by others. The present findings point to a fascinating possibility that electron transfer could be drastically modulated by exchanging the metal ion that bridges the two redox centers.     

Mechanistic investigations of cooperative catalysis in the enantioselective fluorination of epoxides

This report describes mechanistic studies of the (salen)Co- and amine-cocatalyzed enantioselective ring opening of epoxides by fluoride. The kinetics of the reaction, as determined by in situ (19)F NMR analysis, are characterized by apparent first-order dependence on (salen)Co. Substituent effects, nonlinear effects, and reactivity with a linked (salen)Co catalyst provide evidence for a rate-limiting, bimetallic ring-opening step. To account for these divergent data, we propose a mechanism wherein the active nucleophilic fluorine species is a cobalt fluoride that forms a resting-state dimer. Axial ligation of the amine cocatalyst to (salen)Co facilitates dimer dissociation and is the origin of the observed cooperativity. On the basis of these studies, we show that significant improvements in the rates, turnover numbers, and substrate scope of the fluoride ring-opening reactions can be realized through the use of a linked salen framework. Application of this catalyst system to a rapid (5 min) fluorination to generate the unlabeled analog of a known PET tracer, F-MISO, is reported.     

Metal salen derivatives as catalysts for the alternating copolymerization of oxetanes and carbon dioxide to afford polycarbonates

Metal salen derivatives of chromium and aluminum, along with n-Bu4NX (X = Cl or N3) salts, have been shown to be effective catalysts for the selective coupling of CO2 and oxetane (trimethylene oxide) to provide the corresponding polycarbonate with only trace quantities of ether linkages. The formation of copolymer is suggested, based on circumstantial evidence, not to proceed via the intermediacy of trimethylene carbonate, which was observed as a minor product of the coupling reaction. For a reaction catalyzed by (salen)CrCl in the presence of n-Bu4NN3 as the cocatalyst, both matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry and infrared spectroscopy revealed an azide end group in the copolymer.     

Synthesis and characterization of a new kind of immobilized Mn(salen) and catalytic epoxidation of styrene on the catalyst

A linear polystyrene‐isopropenyl phosphonic acid (PS‐IPPA) copolymer was newly synthesized by free radical reaction in solution with isopropenyl phosphonic acid (IPPA) and styrene. Zirconium poly(styrene‐isopropenyl phosphonate)‐phosphate acid (ZPS‐IPPA) was also synthesized. The benzene rings of ZPS‐IPPA were hydroxylated and then further reacted with Mn(salen)Cl. Thus the heterogeneous catalyst, Mn(salen) axially immobilized onto ZPS‐IPPA was synthesized. These substances were characterized by IR spectra, X‐ray diffraction (XRD), SEM, TEM, NMR, thermogravimetric analysis, and AAS. The catalyst showed good activity to epoxidation of styrene, which is close to that of the corresponding homogeneous catalyst. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Copolymerization of Cyclohexene Oxide and CO(2) with a Chromium Diamine-bis(phenolate) Catalyst

A diamine-bis(phenolate) chromium(III) complex, {CrCl[O(2)NN'](BuBu)}(2) catalyzes the copolymerization of cyclohexene oxide with carbon dioxide. The synthesis of this metal complex is straightforward, and it can be obtained in high yields. This catalyst incorporates a tripodal amine-bis(phenolate) ligand, which differs from the salen or salan ligands typically used with Cr and Co complexes that have been employed as catalysts for the synthesis of such polycarbonates. The catalyst reported herein yields low molecular weight polymers with narrow polydispersities. Structural and spectroscopic details of this complex along with its copolymerization activity for cyclohexene oxide and carbon dioxide are presented.     

Effect of the ligand nature in cobalt complexes on the selectivity of the reaction of carbon dioxide and propylene oxide

The reaction of carbon dioxide with propylene oxide in the presence of the (salen)CoCl or (TPP)CoCl (salen = bis(3,5-di-tert-butyl-salicylidene)-1,2-diaminocyclohexane, TPP = 5,10,15,20-tetraphenylporphyrin) catalyst and the PPNCl (bis(triphenylphosphine)iminium chloride) cocatalyst has been carried out at 20–60°С and a СО₂ pressure of 0.6 MPa to investigate the effect of the ligand nature on the reaction rate and selectivity. The change in the reaction rate and selectivity in relation to the temperature and cocatalyst/catalyst ratio has been studied. The activation energy of the copolymerization of СО₂ with propylene oxide catalyzed by the (salen)CoCl complex have been obtained.     

Catalase and epoxidation activity of manganese salen complexes bearing two xanthene scaffolds

A series of manganese Hangman salen ligand platforms functionalized by tert-butyl groups in the 3 and 3' positions using the Suzuki cross-coupling methodology are presented. The Hangman platforms support multielectron chemistry mediated by proton-coupled electron transfer (PCET), as demonstrated by their ability to promote the catalytic disproportionation of hydrogen peroxide to oxygen and water via a high-valent metal oxo. The addition of the steric groups to the salen macrocycle leads to enhanced catalase activity by circumventing side reactions that sequester the catalyst off pathway. The stereochemistry imposed by the cyclohexanediamine backbone of the salen platform is revealed by the epoxidation of 1,2-dihydronapthalene by a variety of oxidants. Improved enantiomeric excess and catalase activity as compared to sterically unmodified counterparts establishes the efficacy of the tert-butyl groups in promoting PCET catalysis on the Hangman platform.     

Multinuclear cobalt–salen complexes with phenylene linker for epoxide polymerizations

Di‐ and trinuclear cobalt (Co)–salen complexes with a benzene ring as a rigid linker were explored for epoxide polymerizations. The dinuclear Co–salen complex with a 1,2‐phenylene linker showed higher catalytic activity than the dinuclear Co–salen complex with a 1,3‐phenylene linker and the trinuclear Co–salen complex with a 1,3,5‐benzenetriyl linker for the copolymerization of propylene oxide (PO) with carbon dioxide. A combination of the absolute configuration of the two Co–salen moieties was found to affect its catalytic activity. The optimized dinuclear Co–salen complex with a heterochiral combination demonstrated highest activity and maintained its catalytic activity under a low catalyst concentration. The heterochiral dinuclear Co–salen complex also showed high activity for the copolymerization of PO with cyclic anhydride. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2017 , 55, 2150–2159     

Enantioselective fluoride ring opening of aziridines enabled by cooperative Lewis acid catalysis

The enantioselective ring opening of aziridines using a latent source of HF is described. A combination of two Lewis acids, (salen)Co and an achiral Ti(IV) cocatalyst, provided optimal reactivity and enantioselectivity for the trans β-fluoroamine product. The use of a chelating aziridine protecting group was crucial. Acyclic and cyclic meso N-picolinamide aziridines underwent fluoride ring opening in up to 84% ee, and the kinetic resolution of a piperidine-derived aziridine was performed with k_rel=6.6. The picolinamide group may be readily removed without epimerization of the fluoroamine. Preliminary studies revealed a bimetallic mechanism wherein the chiral (salen)Co catalyst delivers the nucleophile and the Ti(IV) cocatalyst activates the aziridine.     

Mechanistic insight into the initiation step of the coupling reaction of oxetane or epoxides and CO2 catalyzed by (salen)CrX complexes

The most active and robust current catalysts for the copolymerization of carbon dioxide and epoxides or oxetanes, (salen)CrX in conjunction with PPNX (PPN(+) = (Ph3P)2N(+)) or n-Bu4NX (X = Cl, N3, CN, NCO), are characterized both in solution by infrared spectroscopy and in the solid-state by X-ray crystallography. All anions (X) afford six-coordinate chromium(III) PPN(+) or n-Bu4N(+) salts composed of trans-(salen)CrX2(-) species. Of the X groups investigated in (salen)CrX, chloride is easily displaced by the others, that is, the reaction of (salen)CrCl with 2 equiv of N3(-), CN(-), or NCO(-) quantitatively provide (salen)Cr(N3)2(-), (salen)Cr(CN)2(-), and (salen)Cr(NCO)2(-), respectively. On the other hand, addition of less than 2 equiv of azide to (salen)CrCl leads to a Schlenk (ligand redistribution) equilibrium of the three possible anions both in solution and in the solid-state as shown by X-ray crystallography and electrospray ionization mass spectrometry. It was further demonstrated that all trans-(salen)CrX2(-) anions react with the epoxide or oxetane monomers in TCE (tetrachloroethane) solution to afford an equilibrium mixture containing (salen)CrX x monomer, with the oxetane adduct being thermodynamically more favored. The ring-opening steps of the bound cyclic ether monomers by X(-) were examined, revealing the rate of ring-opening of the epoxides (cyclohexene oxide and propylene oxide) to be much faster than of oxetane, with propylene oxide faster than cyclohexene oxide. Furthermore, both X anions in (salen)CrX2(-) were shown to be directly involved in monomer ring-opening.     

Mechanistic studies of the copolymerization reaction of oxetane and carbon dioxide to provide aliphatic polycarbonates catalyzed by (Salen)CrX complexes

Chromium salen derivatives in the presence of anionic initiators have been shown to be very effective catalytic systems for the selective coupling of oxetane and carbon dioxide to provide the corresponding polycarbonate with a minimal amount of ether linkages. Optimization of the chromium(III) system was achieved utilizing a salen ligand with tert-butyl groups in the 3,5-positions of the phenolate rings and a cyclohexylene backbone for the diimine along with an azide ion initiator. The mechanism for the coupling reaction of oxetane and carbon dioxide has been studied. Based on binding studies done by infrared spectroscopy, X-ray crystallography, kinetic data, end group analysis done by (1)H NMR, and infrared spectroscopy, a mechanism of the copolymerization reaction is proposed. The formation of the copolymer is shown to proceed in part by way of the intermediacy of trimethylene carbonate, which was observed as a minor product of the coupling reaction, and by the direct enchainment of oxetane and CO 2. The parity of the determined free energies of activation for these two processes, namely 101.9 kJ x mol (-1) for ring-opening polymerization of trimethylene carbonate and 107.6 kJ x mol (-1) for copolymerization of oxetane and carbon dioxide supports this conclusion.     

Influence of aromatic substituents on metal(II)salen catalysed, asymmetric synthesis of α-methyl α-amino acids

The influence of substituents on both the aromatic rings of the catalyst, and the benzylidene unit of the substrate are investigated in the (salen)copper(II) catalysed asymmetric benzylation of alanine derivatives. Catalysts with electron-donating, and electron-withdrawing substituents of various sizes and at various locations on the aromatic rings of the salen ligand were prepared, but all exhibited inferior enantioselectivity to the parent (salen)copper(II) complex. In contrast, the introduction of halogenated substituents onto the aromatic ring of the N-benzylidene alanine methyl ester substrate was found to enhance the enantioselectivity of the alkylation with a para-chloro substituent giving optimal results. A new procedure for the preparation of the catalysts which avoids the need for chromatography on sephadex LH20 is reported, and the optimal catalyst obtained in this way was found to be a cobalt(salen) complex.